N-heteroaryl indole carboxamides and analogues thereof, for use as glucokinase activators in the treatment of diabetes

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to compounds that are activators of glucokinase and thus may be useful for the management, treatment, control, or adjunct treatment of diseases, where increasing glucokinase activity is beneficial. The compounds are of the general formula (I) 
                         
wherein A and B are further defined in the application.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of International Application Number:PCT/DK2004/000814, filed Nov. 24, 2004, which claims priority toEuropean Patent Application Number EP 03388079.0, filed Nov. 24, 2003,and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/525,101, filed Nov. 25, 2003,the contents of each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to compounds that are activators of glucokinaseand thus may be useful for the management, treatment, control, oradjunct treatment of diseases, where increasing glucokinase activity isbeneficial.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Diabetes is characterised by an impaired glucose metabolism manifestingitself among other things by an elevated blood glucose level in thediabetic patients. Underlying defects lead to a classification ofdiabetes into two major groups: Type 1 diabetes, or insulin demandingdiabetes mellitus (IDDM), which arises when patients lack β-cellsproducing insulin in their pancreatic glands, and type 2 diabetes, ornon-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), which occurs inpatients with an impaired β-cell function besides a range of otherabnormalities.

Type 1 diabetic patients are currently treated with insulin, while themajority of type 2 diabetic patients are treated either withsulphonylureas that stimulate β-cell function or with agents thatenhance the tissue sensitivity of the patients towards insulin or withinsulin. Among the agents applied to enhance tissue sensitivity towardsinsulin metformin is a representative example.

Even though sulphonylureas are widely used in the treatment of NIDDMthis therapy is, in most instances, not satisfactory: In a large numberof NIDDM patients sulphonylureas do not suffice to normalise blood sugarlevels and the patients are, therefore, at high risk for acquiringdiabetic complications. Also, many patients gradually lose the abilityto respond to treatment with sulphonylureas and are thus graduallyforced into insulin treatment. This shift of patients from oralhypoglycaemic agents to insulin therapy is usually ascribed toexhaustion of the β-cells in NIDDM patients.

In normal subjects as well as in diabetic subjects, the liver producesglucose in order to avoid hypoglycaemia. This glucose production isderived either from the release of glucose from glycogen stores or fromgluconeogenesis, which is a de novo intracellular synthesis of glucose.In type 2 diabetes, however, the regulation of hepatic glucose output ispoorly controlled and is increased, and may be doubled after anovernight fast. Moreover, in these patients there exists a strongcorrelation between the increased fasting plasma glucose levels and therate of hepatic glucose production. Similarly, hepatic glucoseproduction will be increased in type 1 diabetes, if the disease is notproperly controlled by insulin treatment.

Since existing forms of therapy of diabetes does not lead to sufficientglycaemic control and therefore are unsatisfactory, there is a greatdemand for novel therapeutic approaches.

Atherosclerosis, a disease of the arteries, is recognized to be theleading cause of death in the United States and Western Europe. Thepathological sequence leading to atherosclerosis and occlusive heartdisease is well known. The earliest stage in this sequence is theformation of “fatty streaks” in the carotid, coronary and cerebralarteries and in the aorta. These lesions are yellow in colour due to thepresence of lipid deposits found principally within smooth-muscle cellsand in macrophages of the intima layer of the arteries and aorta.Further, it is postulated that most of the cholesterol found within thefatty streaks, in turn, give rise to development of the “fibrousplaque”, which consists of accumulated intimal smooth muscle cells ladenwith lipid and surrounded by extra-cellular lipid, collagen, elastin andproteoglycans. The cells plus matrix form a fibrous cap that covers adeeper deposit of cell debris and more extracellular lipid. The lipid isprimarily free and esterified cholesterol. The fibrous plaque formsslowly, and is likely in time to become calcified and necrotic,advancing to the “complicated lesion” which accounts for the arterialocclusion and tendency toward mural thrombosis and arterial muscle spasmthat characterize advanced atherosclerosis.

Epidemiological evidence has firmly established hyperlipidemia as aprimary risk factor in causing cardiovascular disease (CVD) due toatherosclerosis. In recent years, leaders of the medical profession haveplaced renewed emphasis on lowering plasma cholesterol levels, and lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol in particular, as an essential step inprevention of CVD. The upper limits of “normal” are now known to besignificantly lower than heretofore appreciated. As a result, largesegments of Western populations are now realized to be at particularhigh risk. Independent risk factors include glucose intolerance, leftventricular hypertrophy, hypertension, and being of the male sex.Cardiovascular disease is especially prevalent among diabetic subjects,at least in part because of the existence of multiple independent riskfactors in this population. Successful treatment of hyperlipidemia inthe general population, and in diabetic subjects in particular, istherefore of exceptional medical importance.

Hypertension (or high blood pressure) is a condition, which occurs inthe human population as a secondary symptom to various other disorderssuch as renal artery stenosis, pheochromocytoma, or endocrine disorders.However, hypertension is also evidenced in many patients in whom thecausative agent or disorder is unknown. While such “essential”hypertension is often associated with disorders such as obesity,diabetes, and hypertriglyceridemia, the relationship between thesedisorders has not been elucidated. Additionally, many patients displaythe symptoms of high blood pressure in the complete absence of any othersigns of disease or disorder.

It is known that hypertension can directly lead to heart failure, renalfailure, and stroke (brain haemorrhaging). These conditions are capableof causing short-term death in a patient. Hypertension can alsocontribute to the development of atherosclerosis and coronary disease.These conditions gradually weaken a patient and can lead to long-termdeath.

The exact cause of essential hypertension is unknown, though a number offactors are believed to contribute to the onset of the disease. Amongsuch factors are stress, uncontrolled emotions, unregulated hormonerelease (the renin, angiotensin aldosterone system), excessive salt andwater due to kidney malfunction, wall thickening and hypertrophy of thevasculature resulting in constricted blood vessels and genetic factors.

The treatment of essential hypertension has been undertaken bearing theforegoing factors in mind. Thus a broad range of beta-blockers,vasoconstrictors, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and the likehave been developed and marketed as antihypertensives. The treatment ofhypertension utilizing these compounds has proven beneficial in theprevention of short-interval deaths such as heart failure, renalfailure, and brain haemorrhaging. However, the development ofatherosclerosis or heart disease due to hypertension over a long periodof time remains a problem. This implies that although high bloodpressure is being reduced, the underlying cause of essentialhypertension is not responding to this treatment.

Hypertension has been associated with elevated blood insulin levels, acondition known as hyperinsulinemia. Insulin, a peptide hormone whoseprimary actions are to promote glucose utilization, protein synthesisand the formation and storage of neutral lipids, also acts to promotevascular cell growth and increase renal sodium retention, among otherthings. These latter functions can be accomplished without affectingglucose levels and are known causes of hypertension. Peripheralvasculature growth, for example, can cause constriction of peripheralcapillaries, while sodium retention increases blood volume. Thus, thelowering of insulin levels in hyperinsulinemics can prevent abnormalvascular growth and renal sodium retention caused by high insulin levelsand thereby alleviates hypertension.

Cardiac hypertrophy is a significant risk factor in the development ofsudden death, myocardial infarction, and congestive heart failure.Theses cardiac events are due, at least in part, to increasedsusceptibility to myocardial injury after ischemia and reperfusion,which can occur in out-patient as well as perioperative settings. Thereis an unmet medical need to prevent or minimize adverse myocardialperioperative outcomes, particularly perioperative myocardialinfarction. Both non-cardiac and cardiac surgery are associated withsubstantial risks for myocardial infarction or death. Some 7 millionpatients undergoing non-cardiac surgery are considered to be at risk,with incidences of perioperative death and serious cardiac complicationsas high as 20-25% in some series. In addition, of the 400,000 patientsundergoing coronary by-pass surgery annually, perioperative myocardialinfarction is estimated to occur in 5% and death in 1-2%. There iscurrently no drug therapy in this area, which reduces damage to cardiactissue from perioperative myocardial ischemia or enhances cardiacresistance to ischemic episodes. Such a therapy is anticipated to belife-saving and reduce hospitalizations, enhance quality of life andreduce overall health care costs of high risk patients.

Obesity is a well-known risk factor for the development of many verycommon diseases such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, and diabetes. Theincidence of obese people and thereby also these diseases is increasingthroughout the entire industrialised world. Except for exercise, dietand food restriction no convincing pharmacological treatment forreducing body weight effectively and acceptably currently exists.However, due to its indirect but important effect as a risk factor inmortal and common diseases it will be important to find treatment forobesity and/or means of appetite regulation.

The term obesity implies an excess of adipose tissue. In this contextobesity is best viewed as any degree of excess adiposity that imparts ahealth risk. The cut off between normal and obese individuals can onlybe approximated, but the health risk imparted by the obesity is probablya continuum with increasing adiposity. The Framingham study demonstratedthat a 20% excess over desirable weight clearly imparted a health risk(Mann GV N. Engl. J. Med 291:226, 1974). In the United States a NationalInstitutes of Health consensus panel on obesity agreed that a 20%increase in relative weight or a body mass index (BMI=body weight inkilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) above the 85thpercentile for young adults constitutes a health risk. By the use ofthese criteria 20 to 30 percent of adult men and 30 to 40 percent ofadult women in the United States are obese. (NIH, Ann Intern Med103:147, 1985).

Even mild obesity increases the risk for premature death, diabetes,hypertension, atherosclerosis, gallbladder disease, and certain types ofcancer. In the industrialised western world the prevalence of obesityhas increased significantly in the past few decades. Because of the highprevalence of obesity and its health consequences, its prevention andtreatment should be a high public health priority.

When energy intake exceeds expenditure, the excess calories are storedin adipose tissue, and if this net positive balance is prolonged,obesity results, i.e. there are two components to weight balance, and anabnormality on either side (intake or expenditure) can lead to obesity.

The regulation of eating behaviour is incompletely understood. To someextent appetite is controlled by discrete areas in the hypothalamus: afeeding centre in the ventrolateral nucleus of the hypothalamus (VLH)and a satiety centre in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). Thecerebral cortex receives positive signals from the feeding centre thatstimulate eating, and the satiety centre modulates this process bysending inhibitory impulses to the feeding centre. Several regulatoryprocesses may influence these hypothalamic centres. The satiety centremay be activated by the increases in plasma glucose and/or insulin thatfollow a meal. Meal-induced gastric distension is another possibleinhibitory factor. Additionally the hypothalamic centres are sensitiveto catecholamines, and beta-adrenergic stimulation inhibits eatingbehaviour. Ultimately, the cerebral cortex controls eating behaviour,and impulses from the feeding centre to the cerebral cortex are only oneinput. Psychological, social, and genetic factors also influence foodintake.

At present a variety of techniques are available to effect initialweight loss. Unfortunately, initial weight loss is not an optimaltherapeutic goal. Rather, the problem is that most obese patientseventually regain their weight. An effective means to establish and/orsustain weight loss is the major challenge in the treatment of obesitytoday.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention is to provide compounds that areactivators of glucokinase and thus may be useful for the management,treatment, control, or adjunct treatment of diseases where increasingglucokinase activity is beneficial.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide apharmaceutical composition comprising, as an active ingredient, at leastone compound according to the present invention together with one ormore pharmaceutically acceptable carriers or excipients.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide use of acompound represented by the general formula (II)

wherein A and B are defined below, as well as any salt hereof with apharmaceutically acceptable acid or base, or any optical isomer ormixture of optical isomers, including a racemic mixture, or anytautomeric forms, for the preparation of a medicament for increasing theactivity of glucokinase.

Furthermore it is an acpect of the invention to provide the use of acompound of the invention for the preparation of a medicament for thetreatment of metabolic disorders, for blood glucose lowering, for thetreatment of hyperglycemia, for the treatment of IGT, for the treatmentof Syndrome X, for the treatment of impaired fasting glucose (IFG), forthe treatment of type 2 diabetes, for the treatment of type 1 diabetes,for delaying the progression of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) to type2 diabetes, for delaying the progression of non-insulin requiring type 2diabetes to insulin requiring type 2 diabetes, for the treatment ofdyslipidemia, for the treatment of hyperlipidemia, for the treatment ofhypertension, for lowering of food intake, for appetite regulation, forthe treatment of obesity, for regulating feeding behaviour, or forenhancing the secretion of enteroincretins.

These and further aspects of the invention will become apparent duringthe following detailed description.

DEFINITIONS

In the structural formulas given herein and throughout the presentspecification, the following terms have the indicated meaning:

The term “optionally substituted” as used herein means that the moietywhich is optionally substituted is either unsubstituted or substitutedwith one or more of the substituents specified. When the moiety inquestion is substituted with more than one substituent, the substituentmay be the same or different.

The term “adjacent” as used herein regards the relative positions of twoatoms or variables, these two atoms or variables sharing a bond or onevariable preceding or succeeding the other in a variable specification.By way of example, “atom A adjacent to atom B” means that the two atomsA and B share a bond.

The term “halogen” or “halo” means fluorine, chlorine, bromine oriodine.

The term “perhalomethyl” means trifluoromethyl, trichloromethyl,tribromomethyl, or triiodomethyl.

The use of prefixes of this structure: C_(x-y)-alkyl, C_(x-y)-alkenyl,C_(x-y)-alkynyl, C_(x-y)-cycloalyl orC_(x-y)-cycloalkyl-C_(x-y)-alkenyl-designates radical of the designatedtype having from x to y carbon atoms.

The term “alkyl” as used herein, alone or in combination, refers to astraight or branched chain saturated monovalent hydrocarbon radicalhaving from one to ten carbon atoms, for example C₁₋₈-alkyl orC₁₋₆-alkyl. Typical C₁₋₈-alkyl groups and C₁₋₆-alkyl groups include, butare not limited to e.g. methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl,sec-butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl, n-pentyl, 2-methylbutyl, 3-methylbutyl,4-methylpentyl, neopentyl, n-pentyl, n-hexyl, 1,2-dimethylpropyl,2,2-dimethylpropyl, 1,2,2-trimethylpropyl and the like. The term“C₁₋₈-alkyl” as used herein also includes secondary C₃₋₈-alkyl andtertiary C₄₋₈-alkyl. The term “C₁₋₆-alkyl” as used herein also includessecondary C₃₋₆-alkyl and tertiary C₄₋₆-alkyl.

The term “alkylene” as used herein, alone or in combination, refers to astraight or branched chain saturated divalent hydrocarbon radical havingfrom one to ten carbon atoms, for example C₁₋₈-alkylene orC₁₋₆-alkylene. Examples of “alkylene” as used herein include, but arenot limited to, methylene, ethylene, and the like.

The term “alkenyl” as used herein, alone or in combination, refers to astraight or branched chain monovalent hydrocarbon radical containingfrom two to ten carbon atoms and at least one carbon-carbon double bond,for example C₂₋₈-alkenyl or C₂₋₆-alkenyl. Typical C₂₋₈-alkenyl groupsand C₂₋₆-alkenyl groups include, but are not limited to, vinyl,1-propenyl, 2-propenyl, iso-propenyl, 1,3-butadienyl, 1-butenyl,2-butenyl, 3-butenyl, 2-methyl-1-propenyl, 1-pentenyl, 2-pentenyl,3-pentenyl, 4-pentenyl, 3-methyl-2-butenyl, 1-hexenyl, 2-hexenyl,3-hexenyl, 2,4-hexadienyl, 5-hexenyl and the like.

The term “alkenylene” as used herein, alone or in combination, refers toa straight or branched chain divalent hydrocarbon radical having fromtwo to ten carbon atoms and at least one carbon-carbon double bond, forexample C₂₋₈-alkenylene or C₂₋₆-alkenylene. Typical C₂₋₈-alkenylenegroups and C₂₋₆-alkenylene groups include, but are not limited to,ethene-1,2-diyl, propene-1,3-diyl, methylene-1,1-diyl, and the like.

The term “alkynyl” as used herein alone or in combination, refers to astraight or branched monovalent hydrocarbon radical containing from twoto ten carbon atoms and at least one triple carbon-carbon bond, forexample C₂₋₈-alkynyl or C₂₋₆-alkynyl. Typical C₂₋₈-alkynyl groups andC₂₋₆-alkynyl groups include, but are not limited to, ethynyl,1-propynyl, 2-propynyl, 1-butynyl, 2-butynyl, 3-butynyl, 1-pentynyl,2-pentynyl, 3-pentynyl, 4-pentynyl, 1-hexynyl, 2-hexynyl, 3-hexynyl,5-hexynyl, 2,4-hexadiynyl and the like.

The term “alkynylene” as used herein alone or in combination, refers toa straight or branched chain divalent hydrocarbon radical having fromtwo to ten carbon atoms and at least one carbon-carbon triple bond, forexample C₂₋₆-alkynylene or C₂₋₆-alkynylene. Typical C₂₋₈-alkynylenegroups and C₂₋₆-alkynylene groups include, but are not limited to,ethyne-1,2-diyl, propyne-1,3-diyl, and the like.

The term “cycloalkyl” as used herein, alone or in combination, refers toa non-aromatic monovalent hydrocarbon radical having from three totwelve carbon atoms, and optionally with one or more degrees ofunsaturation, for example C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl. Such a ring may be optionallyfused to one or more benzene rings or to one or more of other cycloalkylring(s). Typical C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl groups include, but are not limited to,cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, cyclohexenyl,cycloheptyl, cycloheptenyl, cyclooctyl and the like.

The term “cycloalkylene” as used herein, alone or in combination, refersto a non-aromatic carbocyclic divalent hydrocarbon radical having fromthree to twelve carbon atoms and optionally possessing one or moredegrees of unsaturation, for example C₃₋₈-cycloalkylene. Such a ring maybe optionally fused to one or more benzene rings or to one or more ofother cycloalkyl ring(s). Typical C₃₋₈-cycloalkylene groups include, butare not limited to, cyclopropyl-1,1-diyl, cyclopropyl-1,2-diyl,cyclobutyl-1,2-diyl, cyclopentyl-1,3-diyl, cyclohexyl-1,4-diyl,cyclo-heptyl-1,4-diyl, or cyclooctyl-1,5-diyl, and the like.

The term “heterocyclic” or the term “heterocyclyl” as used herein, aloneor in combination, refers to a three to twelve membered heterocyclicring having one or more degrees of unsaturation containing one or moreheteroatomic substitutions selected from S, SO, SO₂, O, or N, forexample C₃₋₈-heterocyclyl. Such a ring may be optionally fused to one ormore of another “heterocyclic” ring(s) or cycloalkyl ring(s). TypicalC₃₋₈-heterocyclyl groups include, but are not limited to,tetrahydrofuran, 1,4-dioxane, 1,3-dioxane, piperidine, pyrrolidine,morpholine, piperazine, and the like.

The term “heterocyclylene” as used herein, alone or in combination,refers to a three to twelve-membered heterocyclic ring diradicaloptionally having one or more degrees of unsaturation containing one ormore heteroatoms selected from S, SO, SO₂, O, or N. Such a ring may beoptionally fused to one or more benzene rings or to one or more ofanother “heterocyclic” rings or cycloalkyl rings. Examples of“heterocyclylene” include, but are not limited to,tetrahydrofu-ran-2,5-diyl, morpholine-2,3-diyl, pyran-2,4-diyl,1,4-dioxane-2,3-diyl, 1,3-dioxane-2,4-diyl, piperidine-2,4-diyl,piperidine-1,4-diyl, pyrrolidine-1,3-diyl, morpholine-2,4-diyl,piperazine-1,4-dyil, and the like.

The term “alkoxy” as used herein, alone or in combination, refers to themonovalent radical R^(a)O—, where R^(a) is alkyl as defined above, forexample C₁₋₈-alkyl giving C₁₋₈-alkoxy. Typical C₁₋₈-alkoxy groupsinclude, but are not limited to, methoxy, ethoxy, n-propoxy, isopropoxy,butoxy, sec-butoxy, tert-butoxy, pentoxy, isopentoxy, hexoxy, isohexoxyand the like.

The term “alkylthio” as used herein, alone or in combination, refers toa straight or branched monovalent radical comprising an alkyl group asdescribed above linked through a divalent sulphur atom having its freevalence bond from the sulphur atom, for example C₁₋₈-alkylthio. TypicalC₁₋₈-alkylthio groups include, but are not limited to, methylthio,ethylthio, propylthio, butylthio, pentylthio, hexylthio and the like.

The term “alkoxycarbonyl” as used herein refers to the monovalentradical R^(a)OC(O)—, where R^(a) is alkyl as described above, forexample C₁₋₈-alkoxycarbonyl. Typical C₁₋₈-alkoxycarbonyl groups include,but are not limited to, methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl,pro-poxycarbonyl, isopropoxycarbonyl, n-butoxycarbonyl,sec-butoxycarbonyl, tertbutoxycarbonyl, 3-methylbutoxycarbonyl,n-hexoxycarbonyl and the like.

The term “carbamoyl” as used herein refers to NH₂C(O)—.

The term “aryl” as used herein refers to a carbocyclic aromatic ringradical or to a aromatic ring system radical. Aryl is also intended toinclude the partially hydrogenated derivatives of the carbocyclicsystems.

The term “heteroaryl”, as used herein, alone or in combination, refersto an aromatic ring radical with for instance 5 to 7 member atoms, or toa aromatic ring system radical with for instance from 7 to 18 memberatoms, containing one or more heteroatoms selected from nitrogen,oxygen, or sulfur heteroatoms, wherein N-oxides and sulfur monoxides andsulfur dioxides are permissible heteroaromatic substitutions; such ase.g. furanyl, thienyl, thiophenyl, pyrrolyl, imidazolyl, pyrazolyl,triazolyl, tetrazolyl, thiazolyl, oxazolyl, isoxazolyl, oxadiazolyl,thiadiazolyl, isothiazolyl, pyridinyl, pyridazinyl, pyrazinyl,pyrimidinyl, quinolinyl, isoquinolinyl, benzofuranyl, benzothiophenyl,indolyl, and indazolyl, and the like. Heteroaryl is also intended toinclude the partially hydrogenated derivatives of the heterocyclicsystems enumerated below.

Examples of “aryl” and “heteroaryl” includes, but are not limited tophenyl, biphenyl, indene, fluorene, naphthyl (1-naphthyl, 2-naphthyl),anthracene (1-anthracenyl, 2-anthracenyl, 3-anthracenyl), thiophene(2-thienyl, 3-thienyl), furyl (2-furyl, 3-furyl), indolyl, oxadiazolyl,isoxazolyl, thiadiazolyl, oxatriazolyl, thiatriazolyl, quinazolin,fluorenyl, xanthenyl, isoindanyl, benzhydryl, acridinyl, thiazolyl,pyrrolyl (1-pyrrolyl, 2-pyrrolyl, 3-pyrrolyl), pyrazolyl (1-pyrazolyl,3-pyrazolyl, 4-pyrazolyl, 5-pyrazolyl), imidazolyl (1-imidazolyl,2-imidazolyl, 4-imidazolyl, 5-imidazolyl), triazolyl(1,2,3-triazol-1-yl, 1,2,3-triazol-4-yl 1,2,3-triazol-5-yl,1,2,4-triazol-3-yl, 1,2,4-triazol-5-yl), oxazolyl (2-oxazolyl,4-oxazolyl, 5-oxazolyl), isooxazolyl (isooxazo-3-yl, isooxazo-4-yl,isooxaz-5-yl), isothiazolyl (isothiazo-3-yl, isothiazo-4-yl,isothiaz-5-yl) thiazolyl (2-thiazolyl, 4-thiazolyl, 5-thiazolyl),pyridyl (2-pyridyl, 3-pyridyl, 4-pyridyl), pyrimidinyl (2-pyrimidinyl,4-pyrimidinyl, 5-pyrimidinyl, 6-pyrimidinyl), pyrazinyl, pyridazinyl(3-pyridazinyl, 4-pyridazinyl, 5-pyridazinyl), quinolyl (2-quinolyl,3-quinolyl, 4-quinolyl, 5-quinolyl, 6-quinolyl, 7-quinolyl, 8-quinolyl),isoquinolyl (1-isoquinolyl, 3-isoquinolyl, 4-isoquinolyl, 5-isoquinolyl,6-isoquinolyl, 7-isoquinolyl, 8-isoquinolyl), benzo[b]furanyl(2-benzo[b]furanyl, 3-benzo[b]furanyl, 4-benzo[b]furanyl,5-benzo[b]furanyl, 6-benzo[b]furanyl, 7-benzo[b]furanyl),2,3-dihydro-benzo[b]furanyl (2-(2,3-dihydro-benzo[b]furanyl),3-(2,3-dihydro-benzo[b]furanyl), 4-(2,3-dihydro-benzo[b]furanyl),5-(2,3-dihydro-benzo[b]furanyl), 6-(2,3-dihydro-benzo[b]furanyl),7-(2,3-dihydro-benzo[b]furanyl)), benzo[b]thiophenyl(benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl, benzo[b]thiophen-3-yl, benzo[b]thiophen-4-yl,benzo[b]thiophen-5-yl, benzo[b]thiophen-6-yl, benzo[b]thiophen-7-yl),2,3-dihydro-benzo[b]thiophenyl (2,3-dihydro-benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl,2,3-dihydro-benzo[b]thiophen-3-yl, 2,3-dihydro-benzo[b]thiophen-4-yl,2,3-dihydro-benzo[b]thiophen-5-yl, 2,3-dihydro-benzo[b]thiophen-6-yl,2,3-dihydro-benzo[b]thiophen-7-yl), indolyl (1-indolyl, 2-indolyl,3-indolyl, 4-indolyl, 5-indolyl, 6-indolyl, 7-indolyl), indazole(1-indazolyl, 3-indazolyl, 4-indazolyl, 5-indazolyl, 6-indazolyl,7-indazolyl), benzimidazolyl (1-benzimidazolyl, 2-benzimidazolyl,4-benzimidazolyl, 5-benzimidazolyl, 6-benzimidazolyl, 7-benzimidazolyl,8-benzimidazolyl), benzoxazolyl (2-benzoxazolyl, 3-benzoxazolyl,4-benzoxazolyl, 5-benzoxazolyl, 6-benzoxazolyl, 7-benzoxazolyl),benzothiazolyl (2-benzothiazolyl, 4-benzothiazolyl, 5-benzothiazolyl,6-benzothiazolyl, 7-benzothiazolyl), carbazolyl (1-carbazolyl,2-carbazolyl, 3-carbazolyl, 4-carbazolyl), 5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine(5H-dibenz[b,f]azepin-1-yl, 5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine-2-yl,5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine-3-yl, 5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine-4-yl,5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine-5-yl), 10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine(10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine-1-yl,10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine-2-yl,10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine-3-yl,10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine-4-yl,10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenz[b,f]azepine-5-yl), benzo[1,3]dioxole(2-benzo[1,3]dioxole, 4-benzo[1,3]dioxole, 5-benzo[1,3]dioxole,6-benzo[1,3]dioxole, 7-benzo[1,3]dioxole), purinyl, and tetrazolyl(5-tetrazolyl, N-tetrazolyl).

The present invention also relates to partly or fully saturatedanalogues of the ring systems mentioned above.

When two such terms are used in combination, such as in aryl-alkyl,heteroaryl-alkyl, cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl and the like, it is to beunderstood that the first mentioned radical is a substituent on thelatter mentioned radical, where the point of substitution, i.e. thepoint of attachment to another part of the molecule, is on the latter ofthe radicals, for example

The term “arylene”, as used herein, alone or in combination, refers tocarbocyclic aromatic ring diradical or to a aromatic ring systemdiradical. Examples of “arylene” include, but are not limited to,benzene-1,4-diyl, naphthalene-1,8-diyl, and the like. The term “arylene”alone or in combination also include other divalent radicals of themonovalent radicals mentioned in the definition of aryl.

The term “heteroarylene”, as used herein, alone or in combination,refers to a five to seven membered aromatic ring diradical, or to aaromatic ring system diradical, containing one or more heteroatomsselected from nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur heteroatoms, wherein N-oxidesand sulfur monoxides and sulfur dioxides are permissible heteroaromaticsubstitutions. Examples of “heteroarylene” used herein arefuran-2,5-diyl, thiophene-2,4-diyl, 1,3,4-oxadiazole-2,5-diyl,1,3,4-thiadiazole-2,5-diyl, 1,3-thiazole-2,4-diyl,1,3-thiazole-2,5-diyl, pyridine-2,4-diyl, pyridine-2,3-diyl,pyridine-2,5-diyl, pyrimidine-2,4-diyl, quinoline-2,3-diyl, and thelike. The term “heteroarylene” alone or in combination also includeother divalent radicals of the monovalent radicals mentioned in thedefinition of heteroaryl.

The term “alkylsulfanyl”, as used herein, refers to the group R^(a)S—,where R^(a) is alkyl as described above.

The term “alkylsulfenyl”, as used herein, refers to the groupR^(a)S(O)—, where R^(a) is alkyl as described above.

The term “alkylsulfonyl”, as used herein, refers to the group R^(a)SO₂—,where R^(a) is alkyl as described above.

The term “acyl”, as used herein, refers to the group R^(a)C(O)—, whereR^(a) is alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, orheterocyclyl as described above.

The term “aroyl”, as used herein, refers to the group R^(a)C(O)—, whereR^(a) is aryl as described above.

The term “heteroaroyl”, as used herein, refers to the group R^(a)C(O)—,where R^(a) is heteroaryl as described above.

The term “aryloxycarbonyl”, as used herein, refers to the groupR^(a)—O—C(O)—, where R^(a) is aryl as described above.

The term “acyloxy”, as used herein, refers to the group R^(a)C(O)O—,where R^(a) is alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, orheterocyclyl as described above.

The term “aryloxy”, as used herein refers to the group R^(a)—O—, whereR^(a) is aryl as described above.

The term “aroyloxy”, as used herein, refers to the group R^(a)C(O)O—,where R^(a) is aryl as described above.

The term “heteroaroyloxy”, as used herein, refers to the groupR^(a)C(O)O—, where R^(a) is heteroaryl as described above.

Whenever the terms “alkyl”, “cycloalkyl”, “aryl”, “heteroaryl” or thelike or either of their prefix roots appear in a name of a substituent(e.g. arylalkoxyaryloxy) they shall be interpreted as including thoselimitations given above for “alkyl” and “aryl”.

As used herein, the term “oxo” shall refer to the substituent ═O.

As used herein, the term “mercapto” shall refer to the substituent —SH.

As used herein, the term “carboxy” shall refer to the substituent —COOH.

As used herein, the term “cyano” shall refer to the substituent —CN.

As used herein, the term “aminosulfonyl” shall refer to the substituent—SO₂NH₂.

As used herein, the term “sulfanyl”shall refer to the substituent —S—.

As used herein, the term “sulfenyl” shall refer to the substituent—S(O)—.

As used herein, the term “sulfonyl” shall refer to the substituent—S(O)₂—.

As used herein, the term “direct bond”, where part of a structuralvariable specification, refers to the direct joining of the substituentsflanking (preceding and succeeding) the variable taken as a “directbond”.

The term “lower”, as used herein, refers to an group having between oneand six carbons, and may be indicated with the prefix C_(x-6)—. Loweralkyl may thus be indicated as C₁₋₆-alkyl, while lower alkylene may beindicated as C₂₋₆-alkylene.

A radical such as C_(x-y)-cycloalkyl-C_(a-b)-alkenyl shall designatethat the radical's point of attachment is in part of the radicalmentioned last.

As used herein, the term “optionally” means that the subsequentlydescribed event(s) may or may not occur, and includes both event(s)which occur and events that do not occur.

As used herein, the term “substituted” refers to substitution with thenamed substituent or substituents, multiple degrees of substitutionbeing allowed unless otherwise stated.

As used herein, the term “attached” or “—” (e.g. —COR¹¹ which indicatesthe carbonyl attachment point to the scaffold) signifies a stablecovalent bond.

As used herein, the terms “contain” or “containing” can refer to in-linesubstitutions at any position along the above defined alkyl, alkenyl,alkynyl or cycloalkyl substituents with one or more of any of O, S, SO,SO₂, N, or N-alkyl, including, for example, —CH₂—O—CH₂—, —CH₂—SO₂—CH₂—,—CH₂—NH—CH₃ and so forth.

Certain of the above defined terms may occur more than once in thestructural formulae, and upon such occurrence each term shall be definedindependently of the other.

As used herein, the term “solvate” is a complex of variablestoichiometry formed by a solute of a compound of the present inventionand a solvent. Such solvents for the purpose of the present inventionmay not interfere with the biological activity of the solute. Solventsmay be, by way of example, water, ethanol, or acetic acid.

As used herein, the term “biohydrolyzable ester” is an ester of a drugsubstance of a compound of the present invention which either a) doesnot interfere with the biological activity of the parent substance butconfers on that substance advantageous properties in vivo such asduration of action, onset of action, and the like, or b) is biologicallyinactive but is readily converted in vivo by the subject to thebiologically active principle. The advantage is that, for example, thebiohydrolyzable ester is orally absorbed from the gut and is transformedto a compound of the present invention in plasma. Many examples of suchare known in the art and include by way of example lower alkyl esters(e.g., C₁₋₄), lower acyloxyalkyl esters, lower alkoxyacyloxyalkylesters, alkoxyacyloxy esters, alkyl acylamino alkyl esters, and cholineesters.

As used herein, the term “biohydrolyzable amide” is an amide of a drugsubstance of a compound of the present invention which either a) doesnot interfere with the biological activity of the parent substance butconfers on that substance advantageous properties in vivo such asduration of action, onset of action, and the like, or b) is biologicallyinactive but is readily converted in vivo by the subject to thebiologically active principle. The advantage is that, for example, thebiohydrolyzable amide is orally absorbed from the gut and is transformedto a compound of the present invention in plasma. Many examples of suchare known in the art and include by way of example lower alkyl amides,α-amino acid amides, alkoxyacyl amides, and alkylaminoalkylcarbonylamides.

As used herein, the term “prodrug” includes biohydrolyzable amides andbiohydrolyzable esters and also encompasses a) compounds in which thebiohydrolyzable functionality in such a prodrug is encompassed in thecompound of the present invention and b) compounds which may be oxidizedor reduced biologically at a given functional group to yield drugsubstances of the present invention. Examples of these functional groupsinclude, but are not limited to, 1,4-dihydropyridine,N-alkylcarbonyl-1,4-dihydropyridine, 1,4-cyclohexadiene, tert-butyl, andthe like.

The term “pharmacologically effective amount” or shall mean that amountof a drug or pharmaceutical agent that will elicit the biological ormedical response of a tissue, animal or human that is being sought by aresearcher or clinician. This amount can be a therapeutically effectiveamount. The term “therapeutically effective amount” shall mean thatamount of a drug or pharmaceutical agent that will elicit thetherapeutic response of an animal or human that is being sought.

The term “treatment” and “treating” as used herein means the managementand care of a patient for the purpose of combating a disease, disorderor condition. The term is intended to include the full spectrum oftreatments for a given disorder from which the patient is suffering,such as the delaying of the progression of the disease, disorder orcondition, the alleviation or relief of symptoms and complications, theprevention of the disease and/or the cure or elimination of the disease,disorder or condition. The patient to be treated is preferably a mammal,in particular a human being.

The term “human insulin” as used herein refers to naturally producedinsulin or recombinantly produced insulin. Recombinant human insulin maybe produced in any suitable host cell, for example the host cells may bebacterial, fungal (including yeast), insect, animal or plant cells.

The expression “insulin derivative” as used herein (and relatedexpressions) refers to human insulin or an analogue thereof in which atleast one organic substituent is bound to one or more of the aminoacids.

By “analogue of human insulin” as used herein (and related expressions)is meant human insulin in which one or more amino acids have beendeleted and/or replaced by other amino acids, including non-codeableamino acids, or human insulin comprising additional amino acids, i.e.more than 51 amino acids, such that the resulting analogue possessesinsulin activity.

The term “acid-stabilised insulin” as used herein refers to an insulinanalogue that does not deamidate or dimerize at pH values below 7.Specifically, the analogue cannot have Asn or Asp as a C-terminalresidue.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Glucokinase (GK) plays an essential role in blood glucose homeostasis.GK catalyses glucose phosphorylation, and is the rate-limiting reactionfor glycolysis in hepatocytes and pancreatic β-cells. In liver GKdetermine the rates of both glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis, andit is also thought to be essential for the regulation of variousglucose-responsive genes (Girard, J.et al., Annu Rev Nutr 17, 325-352(1997)). In the β-cells, GK determines glucose utilization and thus isnecessary for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. GK is also expressedin a population of neurones in the hypothalamus where it might beinvolved in feeding behaviour, and in the gut where it might contributeto the secretion of enteroincretins.

GK has two main distinctive characteristics: its expression, which islimited to tissues that require glucose-sensing (mainly liver andpancreatic β-cells), and its S_(0.5) for glucose, which is much higher(8-12 mM) than that of the other members of the hexokinase family. Dueto these kinetic characteristics, changes in serum glucose levels areparalleled by changes in glucose metabolism in liver which in turnregulate the balance between hepatic glucose output and glucoseconsumption.

Activators of glucokinase may thus be useful for treating diseases whereincreasing the activity of glucokinase is beneficial. Thus, there is aneed for agents which activate glucokinase and increase glucokinaseenzymatic activity. Such agents would be useful for the treatment oftype I diabetes and type II diabetes.

Activators of glucokinase may also play a role in sensing low glucoselevels and generating neurohumoral responses to hypoglycemia and maythus be useful for treating those patients with type 1 diabetes, whichhave a higher tendency to suffer from hypoglycemia.

Type I diabetes mellitus is a complex disease characterized by anelevated blood glucose concentration and polyuria. Secondary to thepersistent elevation in blood glucose, patients develop devastatingcomplications such as retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, andcardiovascular disease. A major goal to improve the diabetic phenotypeis to reduce fasting and postprandial hyperglycemia and, thus, avoid ordelay the onset of diabetic complications. The Diabetes Control andComplications Trial has indicated that tight glycemic control throughadministration of daily multiple insulin injections delays the onset ofcomplications. However, such intensive therapy is associated with anincrease in body weight and higher risk for development of hypoglycaemicevents. Alternative treatments to achieve glucose control without theseside effects are, therefore, being developed. The combination of GKoverexpression in the liver and subcutaneous insulin injections providesbetter glycemic control in type 1 diabetic animals than treatment withinsulin alone (Morral, N., et al. Human Gene Therapy 13, 1561-1570(2002)). Moreover, overexpression of hepatic GK can compensate, in part,for the metabolic disorders developed by insulin receptor-deficient mice(Jackerott, M. et al. Diabetologia 45, 1292-1297 (2002)).

The present invention also relates to the use of a GK activator for thecombined treatment of diabetes and obesity. GK, the GK regulatoryprotein and the KATP channel are expressed in neurones of thehypothalamus, a region of the brain that is important in the regulationof energy balance and the control of food intake. These neurones havebeen shown to express orectic and anorectic neuropeptides and have beenassumed to be the glucose-sensing neurones within the hypothalamus thatare either inhibited or excited by changes in ambient glucoseconcentrations (Mobbs, C. V. et al, American Journal of Physiology,Endocrinology & Metabolism 281, E649-54 (2001)). The ability of theseneurones to sense changes in glucose levels is defective in a variety ofgenetic and experimentally induced models of obesity (Spanswick, D. etal, Nature Neuroscience 3, 757-8 (2000), Levin, B. E. et al, BrainResearch 808, 317-9 (1998)). Intracerebroventricular (icv) infusion ofglucose analogues, which are competitive inhibitors of glucokinase,stimulate food intake in lean rats (Kurata, K. et al, Metabolism:Clinical & Experimental 38, 46-51 (1989)). In contrast, icv infusion ofglucose suppresses feeding (Kurata, K. et al, Physiology & Behavior 37,615-20 (1986)). Small molecule activators of GK may thus decrease foodintake and weight gain through central effects on GK. Therefore, GKactivators may be of therapeutic use in treating eating disorders,including obesity, in addition to diabetes. The hypothalamic effectswill be additive or synergistic to the effects of the same compoundsacting in the liver and/or pancreas in normalising glucose homeostasis,for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Thus the GK/GK regulatory proteinsystem can be described as a potential target of benefit in bothdiabetes and obesity.

The amplitude of glucose-induce insulin release is highly dependent onthe action of the gastrointestinal hormones GLP-1 (glucogen-likepeptide 1) and GIP. Unlike sulfonylureas, which stimulate insulinrelease at low as well as high glucose levels, the action of GLP-1 on ,β-cells is glucose dependent (Gromada, J. et al., Pflügers Arch 435,583-594 (1998)). GLP-1 receptor agonist and drugs that slow thedegradation of active GLP-1 are therefore under development as a noveltreatments for type 2 diabetes. An alternative strategy would be toenhance endogenous GLP-1 levels. Of potential interest is thepossibility that the release of GLP-1 and GIP might be regulated byglucokinase-expressing endocrine cells (Jetton, T. L. et al., J. Biol.Chem. 269, 3641-3654 (1994)) and glucose-responsive neurons (Liu, M. etal., J. Neurosci. 19, 10305-10317 (1999)). It has been reported that therelease of GIP by intestinal K-cells is directly controlled by glucose(Kieffer, T. J. et al., Am J Physiol 267, E489-E496 (1994)), and GLP-1secretion from GLUTag cells is triggered by glucose through a mechanismsimilar to that found in β-cells for insulin secretion (Reimann, F. etal, Diabetes 51, 2757-2763 (2002)). Small molecule activators ofglucokinase may thus be used to increase GLP-1 and /or GIP secretion andthus for treatment, modulation, inhibition, decreasion, reduction,arrest or prevention of beta cell degeneration, such as necrosis orapoptosis of β-cells.

The invention is further exemplified by the following embodiments:

Embodiment 1. A compound represented by the general formula (I),

-   R¹, R², R³, R⁴, R⁶, and R⁷ are independently selected from the group    consisting of    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃; or    -   —NR¹⁰R¹¹; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        arylthio, heteroarylthio, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkythio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, arylsulfonyl, heteroarylsulfonyl, aryl,        heteroaryl, C₁₋₆-alkyl-carbonyl, —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyloxy,        amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl or        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl each of which is optionally        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R¹²; or    -   —CO—NR¹³R¹⁴;-   R¹⁰ and R¹¹ independently represent hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl-C(O)OH,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or aryl;-   R¹² is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(0)₂NH₂;-   R¹³ and R¹⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl,    or heteroaryl, each of which is optionally substituted with one or    more substituents independently selected from R¹⁵; or R¹³ and R¹⁴    together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a    heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R¹⁵ is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R⁵ is selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylcarbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)carbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R³²; or    -   aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, or        aryl-S—C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the aryl group may be substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁰;        or    -   heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the heteroaryl group may be        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R²⁶; or    -   —C₁₋₆-alkyl-C(O)—NR²⁸R²⁹ or —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²⁸R²⁹; wherein the        alkyl part may be substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R³³; or    -   —C(O)NR³⁰R³¹;-   R³² and R³³ are independently halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy,    —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂-   R²⁰ is    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylamino C₁₋₆-alkyl, di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R²¹; or    -   —NR²²R²³ or —C₁₋₆alkyl-NR²²R²³ optionally substituted with one        or more substituents independently selected from R³⁴; or    -   —CONR²⁴R²⁵;-   R²¹ is halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃,    —S(O)₂NH₂ or carboxy;-   R²² and R²³ are independently selected from hydrogen,    —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₁₋₆-alkyl;-   R²⁴ and R²⁵ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl    or heteroaryl, or R²⁴ and R²⁵ together with the nitrogen to which    they are attached form a heterocycle such as piperazine,    homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R²⁶ is    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, sulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino        C₁₋₆-alkyl, di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁷;-   R²⁷ is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, or carboxy;-   R²⁸ and R²⁹ are independently selected from hydrogen,    —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₁₋₆-alkyl;-   R³⁰ and R³¹ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl,    heteroaryl, or R³⁰ and R³¹ together with the nitrogen to which they    are attached form a heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine    or morpholine;-   R³⁴ is halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃,    —S(O)₂NH₂ or carboxy;-   A is heteroaryl which is optionally substituted with one or more    substituents selected independently from R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴²-   R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² are independently selected from    -   halogen, carboxy, cyano, nitro, hydroxy, —CF₃, —SCN; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylamino,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl,        —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —NH₂—C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        —C₁₋₆-alkyl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which        is optionally substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴³; or    -   aryl, heteroaryl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        aryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, heteroaryl-thio-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryloxy,        heteroaryloxy, arylthio, heteroarylthio, arylsulfonyl,        heteroarylsulfonyl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylamino, each of which is        optionally substituted on the aryl or heteroaryl part with one        or more substituents independently selected from R⁴⁴; or    -   C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally        substituted on the cycloalkyl part with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴⁵; or    -   —NR⁴⁶R⁴⁷, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR⁴⁶R⁴⁷,        —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S—R⁴⁸—C₁₋₆-alkyl-S(O)—R⁴⁸, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S(O)₂—R⁴⁸        wherein each alkyl part may be substituted with one or more        substituents independently selected from R⁵²; or    -   —CONR⁴⁹R⁵⁰, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-CONR⁴⁹R⁵⁰ optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R⁵³; or        two of R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² can be taken together to form a        C₂₋₅-alkylene bridge;-   R⁴³, R⁴⁴, and R⁴⁵ are independently C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, nitro,    cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, carboxy-C₁₋₆alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃, or    —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R⁴⁶ and R⁴⁷ independently represent hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl or R⁴⁴ and    R⁴⁵ together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a    heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R⁴⁸ is selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl; or    -   aryl, heteroaryl, aryl-C₁₋₆alkyl, or heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        wherein the aryl or heteroaryl part is optionally substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R⁵¹;        or    -   C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   R⁴⁹ and R⁵⁰ are independently selected from hydrogen and C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   R⁵¹ is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, or carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   R⁵² and R⁵³ are independently C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano,    hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂ as well as any salt    hereof with a pharmaceutically acceptable acid or base, or any    optical isomer or mixture of optical isomers, including a racemic    mixture, or any tautomeric forms, with the exception of the    compounds

and with the proviso that if A is thiazolyl and B is indolyl, then Acannot be substituted in the 4-position with

-   -   C₅₋₈-cycloalkyl optionally substituted with C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   aryl optionally substituted with one or more substituents        selected from halogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₃ alkoxy or C₁₋₃        thioalkoxy, nitro, CF₃,    -   heteroaryl substituted with one or more substituents selected        from C₁₋₃-alkyl or halogen and with the proviso that if A is        thiadiazolyl and B is unsubstituted indolyl or indolyl        substituted on the nitrogen atom with    -   —C(O)—C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)R wherein n is 1 or 2 and R is OR¹′ or NR¹′R²′,        R¹′ R²′ being selected from H or C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   Hydroxy-C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   C₂₋₆ alkoxyalkyl,    -   tetrahydropyranyl,

-   then A cannot be substituted in the 3-position with    -   phenyl, pyridine, or pyrimidine, each of which may optionally be        substituted with up to four substituents selected from Cl, Br,        C₁₋₃-alkyl, or C₁₋₃-alkoxy and CF₃,    -   naphtyl optionally substituted with halogen, C₁₋₃-alkyl, or        C₁₋₃-alkoxy.

-   Embodiment 2. A compound according to embodiment 1 wherein B is

-   Embodiment 3. A compound according to embodiment 2 wherein B is

-   Embodiment 4. A compound according to embodiment 3 wherein B is

-   Embodiment 5. A compound according to embodiment 4 wherein B is

-   Embodiment 6. A compound according to embodiment 3 wherein B is

-   Embodiment 7. A compound according to embodiment 6 wherein B is

-   Embodiment 8. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 7 wherein at least one of the substituents R¹, R², R³ and R⁴ is    different from H.-   Embodiment 9. A compound according to embodiment 8 wherein R³ is    different from H. Embodiment 10. A compound according to any one of    the embodiments 1 to 9 wherein A is thiazolyl, oxazolyl, isoxazolyl,    1,3,4-thiadiazolyl 1,2,4-thiadiazolyl, 1,3,4-oxadiazolyl,    1,2,4-oxadiazolyl, pyrazolyl, 1,2,4-triazolyl, tetrazolyl,    3-oxo-pyrazolyl, 3-oxo-imidazolyl, 3-oxo-thiazolyl, thiazolidinyl,    pyridyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, 1,3,5-triazinyl, 1,2,4-triazinyl,    benzimidazolyl, 4-oxo-pyrimidyl, pyridazinyl or 2-oxo-pyrimidyl,    each of which may optionally be substituted with one or more    substituents independently selected from R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴².-   Embodiment 11. A compound according to embodiment 10 wherein A is    thiazolyl, 1,3,4-thiadiazolyl 1,2,4-thiadiazolyl, pyridyl, or    pyrimidinyl, each of which may optionally be substituted with one or    more substituents independently selected from R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴².-   Embodiment 12. A compound according to embodiment 11 wherein A is    thiazolyl or 1,2,4-thiadiazolyl each of which may optionally be    substituted with one or more substituents independently selected    from R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴².-   Embodiment 13. A compound according to embodiment 11 wherein A is

-   Embodiment 14. A compound according to embodiment 12 wherein A is

-   Embodiment 15. A compound according to embodiment 14 wherein A is

-   Embodiment 16. A compound according to embodiment 15 wherein A is

-   Embodiment 17. A compound according to embodiment 15 wherein A is

-   Embodiment 18. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 17 wherein R⁶ and R⁷ are hydrogen.-   Embodiment 19. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 18 wherein R¹, R², R³ and R⁴ are independently selected from the    group consisting of    -   hydrogen, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃; or    -   —NR¹⁰R¹¹; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryloxy,        heteroaryloxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, aryl, heteroaryl, C₁₋₆-alkyl-carbonyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, or        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyloxy, each of which is optionally substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R¹²;        or    -   —CO—NR¹³R¹⁴.-   Embodiment 20. A compound according to embodiment 19 wherein R¹, R²,    R³and R⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting of    -   hydrogen, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃; or    -   —NR¹⁰R¹¹; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, benzyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, benzyloxy, phenyl,        C₁₋₆-alkyl-carbonyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyloxy, each of which is optionally substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R¹²;        or-   —CO—NR¹³R¹⁴.-   Embodiment 21. A compound according to embodiment 20 wherein R¹, R²,    R³ and R⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting of    -   hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃; or    -   —NR¹⁰R¹¹; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyloxy, each of which is optionally substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R¹²;        or    -   —CO—NR¹³R¹⁴.-   Embodiment 22. A compound according to embodiment 21 wherein R¹, R²,    R³and R⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting of    -   hydrogen, F, Cl, Br, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃; or    -   —NR¹⁰OR¹¹; or    -   methyl, ethyl, propyl, —CH₂—C(O)OH, —(CH₂)₂—C(O)OH, —CH₂—OH,        —(CH₂)₂—OH, —O—CH₂—C(O)OH, —(CH₂)₂—N(CH₃)₂, —O—(CH₂)₂—C(O)OH; or        —CO—NR³R¹⁴.-   Embodiment 23. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 22 wherein R¹⁰ and R¹¹ independently represent hydrogen, methyl,    —C(O)—CH₃, —C(O)—CH₂CH₃, —CH₂—C(O)OH, —(CH₂)₂—C(O)OH,    —C(O)—CH₂—C(O)OH, or —S(O)₂CH₃.-   Embodiment 24. A compound according to embodiment 23 wherein R¹⁰ is    H and R¹¹ is hydrogen, methyl, —C(O)—CH₃, —C(O)—CH₂CH₃, —CH₂—C(O)OH,    —(CH₂)₂—C(O)OH, —C(O)—CH₂—C(O)OH, or —S(O)₂CH₃.-   Embodiment 25. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 24 wherein R¹² is halogen.-   Embodiment 26. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 25 wherein R¹³ and R¹⁴ are independently selected from the group    consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, or propyl.-   Embodiment 27. A compound according to embodiment 26 wherein both    R¹³ and R¹⁴ are hydrogen, or both are methyl, or both are ethyl, or    both are propyl.-   Embodiment 28. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 25 wherein R¹³ and R¹⁴ together with the nitrogen to which they    are attached form a morpholine ring.-   Embodiment 29. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 28 wherein R¹⁵ is halogen.-   Embodiment 30. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 29 wherein R⁵ is selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        cyanomethyl, carboxymethyl, C₁₋₆-alkylcarbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)carbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl; each of which may        optionally be substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R³²; or    -   phenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the phenyl group may be substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁰;        or    -   Heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the heteroaryl part is selected        from furyl, thienyl, pyrrolyl, pyrazolyl, 3-oxopyrazolyl,        oxazolyl, thiazolyl, imidazolyl, isoxazolyl, isothiazolyl,        1,2,3-triazolyl, 1,2,4-triazolyl, pyranyl, pyridyl, pyridazinyl,        pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, 1,2,3-triazinyl, 1,2,4-triazinyl,        1,3,5-triazinyl, 1,2,3-oxadiazolyl, 1,2,4-oxadiazolyl,        1,2,5-oxadiazolyl, 1,3,4-oxadiazolyl, 1,2,3-thiadiazolyl,        1,2,4-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,5-thiadiazolyl, 1,3,4-thiadiazolyl,        tetrazolyl, thiadiazinyl, indolyl, isoindolyl, benzofuryl,        benzothienyl, indazolyl, benzimidazolyl, benzthiazolyl,        benzisothiazolyl, benzoxazolyl, benzisoxazolyl, purinyl,        quinazolinyl, quinolizinyl, quinolinyl, isoquinolinyl,        quinoxalinyl, naphthyridinyl, pteridinyl, carbazolyl, azepinyl,        diazepinyl, acridinyl, thiazolidinyl, 2-thiooxothiazolidinyl,        and the heteroaryl group may be substituted with one or more        substituents independently selected from R²⁶; or    -   —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²⁸R²⁹; or    -   —CONR³⁰R³.-   Embodiment 31. A compound according to embodiment 30 wherein R⁵ is    selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆alkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆alkyl,        cyanomethyl, carboxymethyl, C₁₋₆-alkylcarbamoylmethyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)carbamoylmethyl; each of which may optionally be        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R³²; or    -   Phenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the phenyl group may be substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁰;        or    -   Heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the heteroaryl part is selected        from furyl, thienyl, pyrrolyl, pyrazolyl, oxazolyl, thiazolyl,        imidazolyl, 1,2,3-triazolyl, 1,2,4-triazolyl, pyranyl, pyridyl,        pyrimidinyl, 1,2,3-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,4-thiadiazolyl,        1,2,5-thiadiazolyl, 1,3,4-thiadiazolyl, indolyl, isoindolyl,        benzofuryl, benzothienyl, benzimidazolyl, benzoxazolyl, purinyl,        quinolinyl, isoquinolinyl, or thiazolidinyl, and the heteroaryl        group may be substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R²⁶; or    -   —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²⁸R²⁹; or    -   —CONR³⁰R³¹.-   Embodiment 32. A compound according to embodiment 31 wherein R⁵ is    selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆alkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of        which may optionally be substituted with one or more        substituents independently selected from R³²; or    -   Phenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the phenyl group may be substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁰;        or    -   —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²⁸R²⁹; or    -   —CONR³⁰R³¹.-   Embodiment 33. A compound according to embodiment 32 wherein R⁵ is    selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each        of which may optionally be substituted with one or more        substituents independently selected from R³²; or    -   Phenyl-C₁₋₆alkyl, wherein the phenyl group may be substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁰.-   Embodiment 34. A compound according to embodiment 33 wherein R⁵ is    selected from    -   methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl,        tert-butyl, n-pentyl, isopentyl, neopentyl, tert-pentyl, wherein        each alkyl is optionally substituted with one or more        substituents independently selected from R³², vinyl, 1-propenyl,        2-propenyl, iso-propenyl, 1,3-butadienyl, 1-butenyl, 2-butenyl,        3-butenyl, 2-methyl-1-propenyl, 1-pentenyl, 2-pentenyl,        3-pentenyl, 4-pentenyl, 3-methyl-2-butenyl, ethynyl, 1-propynyl,        2-propynyl, 1-butynyl, 2-butynyl, 3-butynyl, 1-pentynyl,        2-pentynyl, 3-pentynyl, 4-pentynyl,

or

-   -   Phenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the phenyl group may be substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁰.

-   Embodiment 35. A compound according to embodiment 34 wherein R⁵ is    selected from    -   methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl,        tert-butyl, wherein each alkyl is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R³², vinyl,        1-propenyl, 2-propenyl, iso-propenyl, 1,3-butadienyl, 1-butenyl,        2-butenyl, 3-butenyl, 2-methyl-1-propenyl, 3-methyl-2-butenyl,

or

-   -   Phenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the phenyl group may be substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁰.

-   Embodiment 36. A compound according to embodiment 35 wherein R⁵ is    selected from    -   methyl, ethyl, propyl, wherein each alkyl is optionally        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R³², 1-propenyl, 2-propenyl, iso-propenyl,        2-methyl-1-propenyl, 3-methyl-2-butenyl,

-   -   Benzyl, wherein the phenyl part may be substituted with one or        more substituents independently selected from R²⁰.

-   Embodiment 37. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 36 wherein R²⁰ is    -   halogen, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R²¹; or    -   —NR²²R²³, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²²R²³; or    -   —CONR²⁴R²⁵.

-   Embodiment 38. A compound according to embodiment 37 wherein R²⁰ is    -   halogen, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl; or    -   —NR²²R²³ or    -   —CONR²⁴R²⁵.

-   Embodiment 39. A compound according to embodiment 38 wherein R²⁰ is    -   halogen, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl.

-   Embodiment 40. A compound according to embodiment 39 wherein R²⁰ is    halogen, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, carboxy, —O—CH₃, —O—(CH₃)₂, methyl,    ethyl, or propyl.

-   Embodiment 41. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 40 wherein R²¹ is halogen.

-   Embodiment 42. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 41 wherein R²² and R²³ are independently selected from hydrogen,    —C(O)—CH₂, methyl, ethyl or propyl.

-   Embodiment 43. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 42 wherein R²⁴ and R²⁵ are independently selected from the group    consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl or propyl.

-   Embodiment 44. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 43 wherein R²⁶ is    -   halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is        ptionally substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R²⁷.

-   Embodiment 45. A compound according to embodiment 44 wherein R²⁶ is    halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, methoxy, ethoxy, methyl, ethyl or    propyl.

-   Embodiment 46. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 45 wherein R²⁷ is halogen.

-   Embodiment 47. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 46 wherein R²⁸ and R²⁹ are independently selected from hydrogen    or methyl.

-   Embodiment 48. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 47 wherein R³⁰ and R³¹ are independently selected from hydrogen    or methyl.

-   Embodiment 49. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 48 wherein R³² is halogen or cyano.

-   Embodiment 50. A compound according to embodiment 49 wherein R³² is    halogen.

-   Embodiment 51. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 50 wherein R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² are independently selected from    -   halogen, carboxy, cyano, hydroxy, —CF₃, —SCN; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        —C₁₋₆-alkyl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, or hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which        is optionally substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴³; or    -   phenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, naphtyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        phenyl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, naphtyl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, heteroaryl-thio-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        phenyloxy, heteroaryloxy, or heteroarylthio, wherein each        heteroaryl part is selected from furyl, thienyl, pyrrolyl,        pyrazolyl, oxazolyl, thiazolyl, imidazolyl, 1,2,3-triazolyl,        1,2,4-triazolyl, pyranyl, pyridyl, pyrimidinyl,        1,2,3-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,4-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,5-thiadiazolyl,        1,3,4-thiadiazolyl, indolyl, isoindolyl, benzofuryl,        benzothienyl, benzimidazolyl, benzoxazolyl, purinyl, quinolinyl,        isoquinolinyl, or thiazolidinyl, and wherein each aryl or        heteroaryl part is optionally substituted with one or more        substituents independently selected from R⁴⁴; or    -   C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is        optionally substituted on the cycloalkyl part with one or more        substituents independently selected from R⁴⁵; or    -   —NR⁴⁶R⁴⁷, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR⁴⁶R⁴⁷, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S(O)—R⁴⁸,        —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S(O)₂—R⁴⁸ wherein each alkyl part may be substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R⁵²;        two of R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² can be taken together to form a        C₂₋₅-alkylene bridge.

-   Embodiment 52. A compound according to embodiment 51 wherein R⁴⁰,    R⁴¹ and R⁴² are independently selected from    -   halogen, cyano, —CF₃, —SCN; or    -   methyl, ethyl propyl, butyl, methoxy, ethoxy, —C(O)—CH₃,        —C(O)—CH₂CH₃, —CH₂OH, —CH₂CH₂OH, —(CH₂)₂—N(CH₃)₂, —CH₂—O—CH₂,        —CH₂CH₂—O—CH₂, —CH₂—S—CH₂, —CH₂CH₂—S—CH₂; or    -   phenyl-methyl, phenyl-ethyl, naphtyl-methyl, naphtyl-ethyl,        heteroaryl-methyl, heteroaryl-ethyl, phenyl-methylthio,        phenyl-ethylthio, heteroaryl-methylthio, heteroaryl-ethylthio,        heteroaryl-thio-methyl, heteroaryl-thio-ethyl, each of which is        optionally substituted on the aryl or heteroaryl part with one        or more substituents independently selected from R⁴⁴ and wherein        heteroaryl is selected from

-   -   Cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl,        cyclopropyl-methyl, cyclobutyl-methyl, cyclopentyl-methyl,        cyclohexyl-methyl, cyclopropyl-ethyl, cyclobutyl-ethyl,        cyclopentyl-ethyl, cyclohexyl-ethyl, each of which is optionally        substituted on the cycloalkyl part with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴⁵; or        two of R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² can be taken together to form a        C₂₋₅-alkylene bridge.

-   Embodiment 53. A compound according to embodiment 52 wherein R⁴⁰,    R⁴¹ and R⁴² are independently selected from    -   halogen, cyano, —CF₃, —SCN; or    -   methyl, ethyl, —C(O)—CH₃, —CH₂OH, —CH₂CH₂OH, —CH₂—O—CH₂,        —CH₂CH₂—O—CH₂, —CH₂—S—CH₂, —CH₂CH₂—S—CH₂; or    -   heteroaryl-methyl, heteroaryl-ethyl, phenyl-methylthio,        phenyl-ethylthio, heteroaryl-thio-methyl, heteroaryl-thio-ethyl,        each of which is optionally substituted on the aryl or        heteroaryl part with one or more substituents independently        selected from R⁴⁴ and wherein heteroaryl is selected from

-   -   Cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl,        cyclopropyl-methyl, cyclobutyl-methyl, cyclopentyl-methyl,        cyclohexyl-methyl, cyclopropyl-ethyl, cyclobutyl-ethyl,        cyclopentyl-ethyl, cyclohexyl-ethyl, each of which is optionally        substituted on the cycloalkyl part with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴⁵; or        two of R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² can be taken together to form a        C₂₋₅-alkylene bridge.

-   Embodiment 54. A compound according to embodiment 53 wherein R⁴⁰,    R⁴¹ and R⁴² are independently selected from    -   halogen, cyano, —CF₃, —SCN; or    -   methyl, ethyl, —C(O)—CH₃, —CH₂OH, —CH₂CH₂OH, —CH₂—O—CH₂,        —CH₂CH₂—O—CH₂, —CH₂—S—CH₂, —CH₂CH₂—S—CH₂; or

-   Embodiment 55. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 54 wherein R⁴³ is C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy,    or —CF₃.-   Embodiment 56. A compound according to embodiment 55 wherein R⁴³ is    methyl, ethyl or halogen.-   Embodiment 57. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 56 wherein R⁴⁴ is C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy,    carboxy, —CF₃, or carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   Embodiment 58. A compound according to embodiment 57 wherein R⁴⁴ is    methyl, ethyl, halogen, —CH₂—COOH, or —CH₂—CH₂—COOH.-   Embodiment 59. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 58 wherein R⁴⁵ is C¹⁻⁶-alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy,    carboxy, —CF₃, or carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   Embodiment 60. A compound according to embodiment 59 wherein R⁴⁵ is    methyl, ethyl, halogen, —CH₂—COOH, or —CH₂—CH₂—COOH.-   Embodiment 61. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 60 wherein R⁴⁸ and R⁴⁷ independently represent hydrogen, methyl,    ethyl, hydroxy-methyl, hydroxy-methyl, carboxy-methyl,    carboxy-ethyl, or phenyl, or R⁴⁴ and R⁴⁵ together with the nitrogen    to which they are attached form a heterocycle selected from    piperazine, homopiperazine or morpholine.-   Embodiment 62. A compound according embodiment 61 wherein R⁴⁶and R⁴⁷    independently represent hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, or phenyl, or R⁴⁴    and R⁴⁵ together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a    heterocycle selected from piperazine, homopiperazine or morpholine.-   Embodiment 63. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 62 wherein R⁴⁸ is selected from    -   carboxy-methyl, carboxy-ethyl, hydroxy-methyl or hydroxy-ethyl;        or    -   phenyl, naphtyl, heteroaryl, phenylmethyl, phenylethyl,        heteroaryl-methyl or heteroaryl-methyl, wherein each heteroaryl        part is selected from furyl, thienyl, pyrrolyl, pyrazolyl,        oxazolyl, thiazolyl, imidazolyl, 1,2,3-triazolyl,        1,2,4-triazolyl, pyranyl, pyridyl, pyrimidinyl,        1,2,3-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,4-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,5-thiadiazolyl,        1,3,4-thiadiazolyl, indolyl, isoindolyl, benzofuryl,        benzothienyl, benzimidazolyl, benzoxazolyl, purinyl, quinolinyl,        isoquinolinyl, tetrazolyl, or thiazolidinyl, and wherein the        aryl or heteroaryl part is optionally substituted with one or        more substituents independently selected from R⁵¹; or    -   C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-methyl or        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-ethyl.-   Embodiment 64. A compound according to embodiment 63 wherein R⁴⁸ is    selected from    -   carboxy-methyl, carboxy-ethyl, hydroxy-methyl or hydroxy-ethyl;        or    -   phenyl, heteroaryl, phenylmethyl, phenylethyl, heteroaryl-methyl        or heteroaryl-methyl, wherein each heteroaryl part is selected        from imidazolyl, 1,2,3-triazolyl, 1,2,4-triazolyl, or        tetrazolyl, and wherein the aryl or heteroaryl part is        optionally substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁵¹; or    -   Cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl,        cyclopropyl-methyl, cyclobutyl-methyl, cyclopentyl-methyl,        cyclohexyl-methyl, cyclopropyl-ethyl, cyclobutyl-ethyl,        cyclopentyl-ethyl, or cyclohexyl-ethyl.-   Embodiment 65. A compound according to embodiment 64 wherein R⁴⁸ is    selected from    -   carboxy-methyl, carboxy-ethyl, hydroxy-methyl or hydroxy-ethyl;        or    -   phenyl, heteroaryl, phenylmethyl, phenylethyl, heteroaryl-methyl        or heteroaryl-methyl, wherein each heteroaryl part is selected        from imidazolyl, 1,2,3-triazolyl, 1,2,4-triazolyl, or        tetrazolyl, and wherein the aryl or heteroaryl part is        optionally substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁵¹; or    -   Cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, or cyclopentyl.    -   Embodiment 66. A compound according to any one of the        embodiments 1 to 65 wherein R⁴⁹ and R⁵⁰ are independently        selected from hydrogen, methyl and ethyl.-   Embodiment 67. A compound according to embodiment 66 wherein R⁴⁹ and    R⁵⁰ are both hydrogen.-   Embodiment 68. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 67 wherein R⁵¹ is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, methyl,    ethyl, hydroxy-methyl, hydroxy-ethyl, carboxy-methyl or    carboxy-ethyl.-   Embodiment 69. A compound according to embodiment 68 wherein R⁵¹ is    methyl, ethyl, hydroxy-methyl, hydroxy-ethyl, carboxy-methyl or    carboxy-ethyl.-   Embodiment 70. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 69 wherein R⁵² is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, methyl,    ethyl, hydroxy-methyl, hydroxy-ethyl, carboxy-methyl or    carboxy-ethyl.-   Embodiment 71. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 70 wherein R⁵³ is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, methyl,    ethyl, hydroxy-methyl, hydroxy-ethyl, carboxy-methyl or    carboxy-ethyl.-   Embodiment 72. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 71, which compound is an activator of glucokinase, when tested in    the Glucokinase Activation Assay (I) disclosed herein at a glucose    concentration of 2 mM.-   Embodiment 73. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 72, which compound is an activator of glucokinase, when tested in    the Glucokinase Activation Assay (I) disclosed herein at a glucose    concentration of from 10 to 15 mM.-   Embodiment 74. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 73, which compound, at a concentration of 30 μM, is capable of    providing an at least 1.5, such as at least 1.7, for instance at    least 2.0 fold activation of glucokinase in the Glucokinase    Activation Assay (I) disclosed herein at a glucose concentration of    2 mM.-   Embodiment 75. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 74, which compound, at a concentration of 30 μM, is capable of    providing an at least 1.5, such as at least 1.7, for instance at    least 2.0 fold activation of glucokinase in the Glucokinase    Activation Assay (I) disclosed herein at a glucose concentration of    from 10 to 15 mM.-   Embodiment 76. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 75, which at a concentration of 5 μM is capable of providing an    at least 1.5, such as at least 1.7, for instance at least 2.0 fold    activation of glucokinase in the Glucokinase Activation Assay (I)    disclosed herein at a glucose concentration of 2 mM.-   Embodiment 77. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 76, which at a concentration of 5 μM is capable of providing an    at least 1.5, such as at least 1.7, for instance at least 2.0 fold    activation of glucokinase in the Glucokinase Activation Assay (I)    disclosed herein at a glucose concentration of from 10 to 15 mM.-   Embodiment 78. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 77, which compound provides an increase in glucokinase activity,    where the increase in glucokinase activity provided by the compound    increases with increasing concentrations of glucose.-   Embodiment 79. A compound according to embodiment 77 or embodiment    78, which provides an increase in glucokinase activity in    Glucokinase Activation Assay (I) disclosed herein at a glucose    concentration of 15 mM, which increase is significantly higher than    the increase in glucokinase activity provided by the compound in    Glucokinase Activation Assay (I) disclosed herein at a glucose    concentration of 5 mM.-   Embodiment 80. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 77    to 79, which at a compound concentration of 10 μM provides an    increase in glucokinase activity in Glucokinase Activation Assay (I)    disclosed herein at a glucose concentration of 15 mM, which increase    is significantly higher than the increase in glucokinase activity    provided by the compound at a compound concentration of 10 μM in    Glucokinase Activation Assay (I) disclosed herein at a glucose    concentration of 5 mM.-   Embodiment 81. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 77    to 80, which at a compound concentration of 10 μM provides an    increase in glucokinase activity in Glucokinase Activation Assay (I)    disclosed herein at a glucose concentration of 15 mM, which increase    is at least 1.1 fold higher, such as at least 1.2 fold higher, for    instance at least 1.3 fold higher, such as at least 1.4 fold higher,    for instance 1.5 fold higher, such as at least 1.6 fold higher, for    instance at least 1.7 fold higher, such as at least 1.8 fold higher,    for instance at least 1.9 fold higher, such as at least 2.0 fold    higher than the increase in glucokinase activity provided by the    compound at a compound concentration of 10 μM in Glucokinase    Activation Assay (I) disclosed herein at a glucose concentration of    5 mM.-   Embodiment 82. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 81, which compound increases glucose utilization in the liver    without inducing any increase in insulin secretion in response to    glucose.-   Embodiment 83. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 1    to 81, which compound shows a significantly higher activity in    isolated hepatocytes compared to the activity of the compound in    Ins-1 cells.-   Embodiment 84. A compound according to any one of the embodiments 82    to 83, which compound shows a significantly higher activity in    isolated hepatocytes measured as described in the Glucokinase    Activity Assay (II) compared to the activity of the compound in    Ins-1 cells measured as described in the Glucokinase Activity Assay    (III).-   Embodiment 85. A compound according to embodiment 84, which compound    shows an activity in isolated hepatocytes measured as described in    the Glucokinase Activity Assay (II) which activity is at least 1.1    fold higher, such as at least 1.2 fold higher, for instance at least    1.3 fold higher, such as at least 1.4 fold higher, for instance 1.5    fold higher, such as at least 1.6 fold higher, for instance at least    1.7 fold higher, such as at least 1.8 fold higher, for instance at    least 1.9 fold higher, such as at least 2.0 fold higher, for    instance at least a 3.0 fold higher, such as at least a 4.0 fold    higher, for instance at least 5.0 fold higher, such as at least 10    fold higher than the activity of the compound in Ins-1 cells    measured as described in the Glucokinase Activity Assay (III).-   Embodiment 86. A compound according to embodiment 84, which compound    shows no activity in the Ins-1 cells measured as described in the    Glucokinase Activity Assay (III).-   Embodiment 87. A compound according to any one of embodiments 1 to    86 for use as a medicament.-   Embodiment 88. A compound according to any one of embodiments 1 to    86 for treatment of hyperglycemia, for treatment of IGT, for    treatment of Syndrome X, for treatment of type 2 diabetes, for    treatment of type 1 diabetes, for treatment of dyslipidemia, for    treatment of hyperlipidemia, for treatment of hypertension, for    treatment of obesity, for lowering of food intake, for appetite    regulation, for regulating feeding behaviour, or for enhancing the    secretion of enteroincretins, such as GLP-1.-   Embodiment 89. A pharmaceutical composition comprising, as an active    ingredient, at least one compound according to any one of    embodiments 1 to 88 together with one or more pharmaceutically    acceptable carriers or excipients.-   Embodiment 90. A pharmaceutical composition according to embodiment    89 in unit dosage form, comprising from about 0.05 mg to about 1000    mg, preferably from about 0.1 mg to about 500 mg and especially    preferred from about 0.5 mg to about 200 mg of the compound    according to any one of embodiments 1 to 88.-   Embodiment 91. Use of a compound represented by the general formula    (II)

wherein B is heteroaryl optionally substituted with one or moresubstituents independently selected from R¹, R², R³, R⁴, R⁵, R⁶, and R⁷;

-   R¹, R², R³, R⁴, R⁶, and R⁷ are independently selected from the group    consisting of    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃; or    -   —NR¹⁰R¹¹; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        arylthio, heteroarylthio, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, arylsulfonyl, heteroarylsulfonyl, aryl,        heteroaryl, C₁₋₆-alkyl-carbonyl, —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyloxy,        amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl or        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl each of which is optionally        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R¹²; or    -   —CO—NR¹³R¹⁴;-   R¹⁰ and R¹¹ independently represent hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl-C(O)OH,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or aryl;-   R¹² is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R¹³ and R¹⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl,    or heteroaryl, each of which is optionally substituted with one or    more substituents independently selected from R¹⁵; or R¹³ and R¹⁴    together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a    heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R¹⁵ is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R⁵ is selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylcarbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)carbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R³²; or    -   aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, or        aryl-S—C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the aryl group may be substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁰;        or    -   heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the heteroaryl group may be        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R²⁶; or    -   —C₁₋₆-alkyl-C(O)—NR²⁸R²⁹ or —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²⁸R²⁹; wherein the        alkyl part may be substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R³³; or    -   —C(O)NR³⁰R³¹;-   R³² and R³³ are independently halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy,    —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂-   R²⁰ is    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        C₁₆-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylamino C₁₋₆-alkyl, di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R²¹; or    -   —NR²²R²³ or —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²²R²³ optionally substituted with one        or more substituents independently selected from R³⁴; or    -   —CONR²⁴R²⁵;-   R²¹ is halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃,    —S(O)₂NH₂ or carboxy;-   R²² and R²³ are independently selected from hydrogen,    —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₁₋₆-alkyl;-   R²⁴ and R²⁵ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl    or heteroaryl, or R²⁴ and R²⁵ together with the nitrogen to which    they are attached form a heterocycle such as piperazine,    homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R²⁶ is    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, sulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino        C₁₋₆-alkyl, di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁷;-   R²⁷ is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, or carboxy;-   R²⁸ and R²⁹ are independently selected from hydrogen,    —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₁₋₆-alkyl;-   R³⁰ and R³¹ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl,    heteroaryl, or R³⁰ and R³¹ together with the nitrogen to which they    are attached form a heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine    or morpholine;-   R³⁴ is halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃,    —S(O)₂NH₂ or carboxy;    A is heteroaryl which is optionally substituted with one or more    substituents selected independently from R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴²-   R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² are independently selected from    -   halogen, carboxy, cyano, nitro, hydroxy, —CF₃, —SCN; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylamino,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl,        —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —NH₂—C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        —C₁₋₆-alkyl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆ alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R⁴³; or    -   aryl, heteroaryl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        aryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, heteroaryl-thio-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryloxy,        heteroaryloxy, arylthio, heteroarylthio, arylsulfonyl,        heteroarylsulfonyl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylamino, each of which is        optionally substituted on the aryl or heteroaryl part with one        or more substituents independently selected from R⁴⁴; or    -   C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally        substituted on the cycloalkyl part with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴⁵; or    -   —NR⁴⁶R⁴⁷, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR⁴⁶R⁴⁷, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S—R⁴⁸,        —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S(O)—R⁴⁸, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S(O)₂—R⁴⁸ wherein each alkyl        part may be substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁵²; or    -   —CONR⁴⁹R⁵⁰, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-CONR⁴⁹R⁵⁰ optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R⁵³; or        two of R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² can be taken together to form a        C₂₋₅-alkylene bridge;-   R⁴³, R⁴⁴, and R⁴⁵ are independently C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, nitro,    cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃, or    —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R⁴⁶ and R⁴⁷ independently represent hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl or R⁴⁴ and    R⁴⁵ together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a    heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R⁴⁸ is selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl; or    -   aryl, heteroaryl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, or heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        wherein the aryl or heteroaryl part is optionally substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R⁵¹;        or    -   C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   R⁴⁹ and R⁵⁰ are independently selected from hydrogen and C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   R⁵¹ is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, or carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   R⁵² and R⁵³ are independently C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano,    hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂ as well as any salt    hereof with a pharmaceutically acceptable acid or base, or any    optical isomer or mixture of optical isomers, including a racemic    mixture, or any tautomeric forms, for the preparation of a    medicament for increasing the activity of glucokinase.-   Embodiment 92. The use according to embodiment 91 for the    preparation of a medicament for the treatment of metabolic    disorders, for blood glucose lowering, for the treatment of    hyperglycemia, for the treatment of IGT, for the treatment of    Syndrome X, for the treatment of impaired fasting glucose (IFG), for    the treatment of type 2 diabetes, for the treatment of type 1    diabetes, for delaying the progression of impaired glucose tolerance    (IGT) to type 2 diabetes, for delaying the progression of    non-insulin requiring type 2 diabetes to insulin requiring type 2    diabetes, for the treatment of dyslipidemia, for the treatment of    hyperlipidemia, for the treatment of hypertension, for lowering of    food intake, for appetite regulation, for the treatment of obesity,    for regulating feeding behaviour, or for enhancing the secretion of    enteroincretins.-   Embodiment 93. The use according to embodiment 91 for the    preparation of a medicament for the adjuvant treatment of type 1    diabetes for preventing the onset of diabetic complications.-   Embodiment 94. The use according to embodiment 91 for the    preparation of a medicament for increasing the number and/or the    size of beta cells in a mammalian subject, for treatment of beta    cell degeneration, in particular apoptosis of beta cells, or for    treatment of functional dyspepsia, in particular irritable bowel    syndrome.-   Embodiment 95. Use according to any one of the embodiments 91 to 94    in a regimen which comprises treatment with a further antidiabetic    agent.-   Embodiment 96. Use according to any one of the embodiments 91 to 95    in a regimen which comprises treatment with a further    antihyperlipidemic agent.-   Embodiment 97. Use according to any one of embodiments 91 to 96 in a    regimen which comprises treatment with a further antiobesity agent.-   Embodiment 98. Use according to any one of embodiments 91 to 97 in a    regimen which comprises treatment with a further antihypertensive    agent.-   Embodiment 99. The use according to any one of the embodiments 91 to    98 of a compound of Formula (II) wherein B is heteroaryl selected    from thienyl, furyl, pyrrolyl, pyrazolyl, imidazolyl, oxazolyl,    thiazolyl, isoxazolyl, isothiazolyl, pyridyl, pyridazinyl,    pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, indolyl, indazolyl, pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridyl,    pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridyl, benzo[b]thienyl, benzo[b]furyl, quinolyl,    isoquinolyl, cinnolinyl, phthalazinyl, quinazolinyl, quinoxalinyl,    each of which may optionally be substituted with one or more    substituents independently selected from R¹, R², R³, R⁴, R⁵, R⁶, and    R⁷.-   Embodiment 100. The use according to embodiment 99 of a compound of    Formula (II) wherein B is heteroaryl selected from thienyl,    pyrrolyl, pyrazolyl, oxazolyl, thiazolyl, pyridyl, pyridazinyl,    pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, indolyl, indazolyl, pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridyl,    pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridyl, benzo[b]thienyl, quinolyl, isoquinolyl, each    of which may optionally be substituted with one or more substituents    independently selected from R¹, R², R³, R⁴, R⁵, R⁶, and R⁷.    Embodiment 101. The use according to embodiment 100 of a compound of    Formula (II) wherein B is heteroaryl selected from thienyl,    pyrrolyl, pyrazolyl, oxazolyl, thiazolyl, pyridyl, indolyl,    indazolyl, pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridyl, pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridyl,    benzo[b]thienyl, each of which may optionally be substituted with    one or more substituents independently selected from R¹, R², R³, R⁴,    R⁵, R⁶, and R⁷.-   Embodiment 102. The use according to embodiment 101 of a compound    according to any one of the embodiments 1 to 86.-   Embodiment 103. In another embodiment the invention provides    compounds represented by the general formula (III),

-   R¹, R², R³, R⁴, R⁶, R⁷ are independently selected from the group    consisting of    -   Hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃; or    -   —NR¹⁰R¹¹; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        arylthio, heteroarylthio, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, arylsulfonyl, heteroarylsulfonyl, aryl,        heteroaryl, C₁₋₆-alkyl-carbonyl, —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkyl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyloxy, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl or di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl each of which        is optionally substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R¹²; or    -   —CO—NR¹³R¹⁴, —C(O)—C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl;-   R¹⁰ and R¹¹ independently represent hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl-C(O)OH,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or aryl;-   R¹² is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R¹³ and R¹⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl,    or heteroaryl, each of which is optionally substituted with one or    more substituents independently selected from R¹⁵; or R¹³ and R¹⁴    together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a    heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R¹⁵ is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R⁵ is selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylcarbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)carbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R³²; or    -   aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        aryl-sulfonyl or aryl-S—C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the aryl group may        be substituted with one or more substituents independently        selected from R²⁰; or    -   heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₃₋₈-heterocyclyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl wherein the        heteroaryl or heterocyclyl group may be substituted with one or        more substituents independently selected from R²⁶; or    -   —C₁₋₆-alkyl-C(O)—NR²⁸R²⁹ or —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²⁸R²⁹; wherein the        alkyl part may be substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R³³; or    -   —C(O)NR³⁰R³¹ or S(O)₂—R³²;-   R³² and R³³ are independently halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy,    —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂-   R²⁰ is    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        Cl--alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylamino C₁₋₆-alkyl, di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R²¹; or    -   —NR²²R²³ or —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²²R²³ optionally substituted with one        or more substituents independently selected from R³⁴; or    -   —CONR²⁴R²⁵;-   R²¹ is halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃,    —S(O)₂NH₂ or carboxy;-   R²² and R²³ are independently selected from hydrogen,    —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₁₋₆-alkyl;-   R²⁴ and R²⁵ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl    or heteroaryl, or R²⁴ and R²⁵ together with the nitrogen to which    they are attached form a heterocycle such as piperazine,    homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R²⁶ is    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, sulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino        C₁₋₆-alkyl, di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁷;-   R²⁷ is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, or carboxy;-   R²⁸ and R²⁹ are independently selected from hydrogen,    —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₁₋₆-alkyl;-   R³⁰ and R³¹ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl,    heteroaryl, or R³⁰ and R³¹ together with the nitrogen to which they    are attached form a heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine    or morpholine; R³⁴ is halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy,    C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃, —S(O)₂NH₂ or carb    A is heteroaryl which is optionally substituted with one or more    substituents selected independently from R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴²-   R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² are independently selected from    -   halogen, carboxy, cyano, nitro, hydroxy, —CF₃, —SCN; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylamino,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl,        —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —NH—C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        —C₁₋₆-alkyl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which        is optionally substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴³; or    -   aryl, heteroaryl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        aryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, heteroaryl-thio-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryloxy,        heteroaryloxy, arylthio, heteroarylthio, arylsulfonyl,        heteroarylsulfonyl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylamino, each of which is        optionally substituted on the aryl or heteroaryl part with one        or more substituents independently selected from R⁴⁴; or    -   C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally        substituted on the cycloalkyl part with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴⁵; or    -   —NR⁴⁶R⁴⁷, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR⁴⁶R⁴⁷,        —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S—R⁴⁸—C₁₋₆-alkyl-S(O)₂—R⁴⁸ wherein each alkyl part        may be substituted with one or more substituents independently        selected from R⁵²; or    -   —CONR⁴⁹R⁵⁰, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-CONR⁴⁹R⁵⁰ optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R⁵³; or        two of R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² can be taken together to form a        C₂₋₅-alkylene bridge;-   R⁴³, R⁴⁴, and R⁴⁵ are independently C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, nitro,    cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R⁴⁶ and R⁴⁷ independently represent hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl or R⁴⁴ and    R⁴⁵ together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a    heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R⁴⁸ is selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl; or    -   aryl, heteroaryl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, or heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        wherein the aryl or heteroaryl part is optionally substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R⁵¹;        or    -   C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   R⁴⁹ and R⁵⁰ are independently selected from hydrogen and C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   R⁵¹ is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, or carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   R⁵² and R⁵³ are independently C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano,    hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂ as well as any salt    hereof with a pharmaceutically acceptable acid or base, or any    optical isomer or mixture of optical isomers, including a racemic    mixture, or any tautomeric forms, with the exception of compounds    represented by the general formula (IV)

-   wherein R^(A1) is halo, nitro, amino, cyano, methyl,    trifluoromethyl, hydroxy, methoxy, trifluoromethoxy, methylthio,    methylsulfinyl, or methylsulfonyl; R^(A2) is lower alkyl having from    2 to 5 carbon atoms or —CH₂—R^(A4) wherein R^(A4) is cycloalkyl    having from 3 to 6 carbon atoms; and R^(A3) is an unsubstituted or    mono-substituted five- or six-membered heteroaromatic ring connected    by a ring carbon atom to the amine group shown, which five- or    six-membered heteroaromatic ring contains from 1 to 3 heteroatoms    selected from sulfur, oxygen or nitrogen, with one heteroatom being    nitrogen which is adjacent to the connecting ring carbon atom; said    mono-substituted heteroaromatic ring being mono-substituted at a    position on a ring carbon atom other than adjacent to said    connecting carbon atom with a substituent selected from the group    consisting of methyl, trifluoromethyl, chloro, bromo, nitro, cyano,    —(CH₂)_(m)—OR^(A5), —(CH₂)_(m)—C(O)—OR^(A5),    —(CH₂)_(m)—C(O)—NHR^(A5), and —(CH₂)_(m)—NHR^(A5),-   wherein m is 0 or 1; R^(A5) is hydrogen or lower alkyl; or a    pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof,-   and further with the exception of the compounds

-   and with the proviso that if A is thiazolyl and B is indolyl, then A    cannot be substituted in the 4-position with    -   C₅₋₈-cycloalkyl optionally substituted with C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   aryl optionally substituted with one or more substituents        selected from halogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₃ alkoxy or C₁₋₃        thioalkoxy, nitro, CF₃,    -   heteroaryl substituted with one or more substituents selected        from C₁₋₃-alkyl or halogen and with the proviso that if A is        thiadiazolyl and B is unsubstituted indolyl or indolyl        substituted on the nitrogen atom with    -   —C(O)—C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)R wherein n is 1 or 2 and R is OR¹′ or NR¹′R²′,        R¹′ R²′ being selected from H or C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   Hydroxy-C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   C₂₋₆ alkoxyalkyl,    -   tetrahydropyranyl,-   then A cannot be substituted in the 3-position with    -   phenyl, pyridine, or pyrimidine, each of which may optionally be        substituted with up to four substituents selected from Cl, Br,        C₁₋₃-alkyl, or C₁₋₃-alkoxy and CF₃, naphtyl optionally        substituted with halogen, C₁₋₃-alkyl, or C₁₋₃-alkoxy.-   Embodiment 104. In another embodiment the invention provides    compounds represented by the general formula (V),

-   R¹, R², R³, R⁴, R⁶, and R⁷ are independently selected from the group    consisting of    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃;or    -   —NR¹⁰R¹¹; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        arylthio, heteroarylthio, aryl,C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkythio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, arylsulfonyl, heteroarylsulfonyl, aryl,        heteroaryl, C₁₋₆-alkyl-carbonyl, —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyloxy,        amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl or        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl each of which is optionally        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R¹²; or    -   —CO—NR¹³R¹⁴, C₁₋₆-alkyl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl;-   R¹⁰ and R¹¹ independently represent hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl-C(O)OH,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or aryl;-   R¹² is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R¹³ and R¹⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl,    or heteroaryl, each of which is optionally substituted with one or    more substituents independently selected from R¹⁵; or R¹³ and R¹⁴    together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a    heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R¹⁵ is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or—S(O)₂NH₂;-   R⁵ is selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylcarbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)carbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R³²; or    -   aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        aryl-sulfonyl or aryl-S—C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the aryl group may        be substituted with one or more substituents independently        selected from R²⁰; or    -   heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₃₋₈-heterocyclyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl wherein        the heteroaryl or heterocyclyl group may be substituted with one        or more substituents independently selected from R²⁶; or    -   —C₁₋₆-alkyl-C(O—NR²⁸R²⁹ or —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²⁸R²⁹; wherein the        alkyl part may be substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R³³; or    -   —C(O)NR³⁰R³¹ or S(O)₂—R³²;-   R³² and R³³ are independently halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy,    —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂-   R²⁰ is    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylamino C₁₋₆alkyl, di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R²¹; or    -   —NR²²R²³ or —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²²R²³ optionally substituted with one        or more substituents independently selected from R³⁴; or    -   —CONR²⁴R²⁵;-   R²¹ is halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃,    —S(O)₂NH₂ or carboxy;-   R²² and R²³ are independently selected from hydrogen,    —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₁₋₆-alkyl;-   R²⁴ and R²⁵ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl    or heteroaryl, or R²⁴ and R²⁵ together with the nitrogen to which    they are attached form a heterocycle such as piperazine,    homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R²⁶ is    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, sulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino        C₁₋₆-alkyl, di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁷;-   R²⁷ is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, or carboxy;-   R²⁸ and R²⁹ are independently selected from hydrogen,    —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₁₋₆-alkyl;-   R³⁰ and R³¹ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl,    heteroaryl, or R³⁰ and R³¹ together with the nitrogen to which they    are attached form a heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine    or morpholine;-   R³⁴ is halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃,    —S(O)₂NH₂ or carboxy;    A is heteroaryl which is optionally substituted with one or more    substituents selected independently from R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴²-   R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² are independently selected from    -   halogen, carboxy, cyano, nitro, hydroxy, —CF₃, —SCN; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylamino,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl,        —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —NH—C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        —C₁₋₆-alkyl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, -C₁₋₆-alkyl-S—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which        is optionally substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴³; or    -   aryl, heteroaryl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        aryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, heteroaryl-thio-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryloxy,        heteroaryloxy, arylthio, heteroarylthio, arylsulfonyl,        heteroarylsulfonyl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylamino, each of which is        optionally substituted on the aryl or heteroaryl part with one        or more substituents independently selected from R₄₄; or    -   C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally        substituted on the cycloalkyl part with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴⁵; or    -   —NR⁴⁶R⁴⁷, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR⁴⁶R⁴⁷,        —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S—R⁴⁸—C₁₋₆-alkyl-S(O)—R⁴⁸, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S(O)₂—R⁴⁸        wherein each alkyl part may be substituted with one or more        substituents independently selected from R⁵²; or    -   —CONR⁴⁹R⁵⁰, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-CONR⁴⁹R⁵⁰ optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R⁵³; or        two of R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² can be taken together to form a        C₂₋₅-alkylene bridge;-   R⁴³, R⁴⁴, and R⁴⁵ are independently C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, nitro,    cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R⁴⁶ and R⁴⁷ independently represent hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl or R⁴⁴ and    R⁴⁵ together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a    heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R⁴⁸ is selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl; or    -   aryl, heteroaryl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, or heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        wherein the aryl or heteroaryl part is optionally substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R⁵¹;        or    -   C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   R⁴⁹ and R⁵⁰ are independently selected from hydrogen and C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   R⁵¹ is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, or carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   R⁵² and R⁵³ are independently C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano,    hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂-   as well as any salt hereof with a pharmaceutically acceptable acid    or base, or any optical isomer or mixture of optical isomers,    including a racemic mixture, or any tautomeric forms, with the    exception of the compounds

-   and with the proviso that if A is thiazolyl and B is indolyl, then A    cannot be substituted in the 4-position with    -   C₅₋₈-cycloalkyl optionally substituted with C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   aryl optionally substituted with one or more substituents        selected from halogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₃ alkoxy or C₁₋₃        thioalkoxy, nitro, CF₃,    -   heteroaryl substituted with one or more substituents selected        from C₁₋₃-alkyl or halogen and with the proviso that if A is        thiadiazolyl and B is unsubstituted indolyl or indolyl        substituted on the nitrogen atom with    -   —C(O)—C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)R wherein n is 1 or 2 and R is OR¹′ or NR¹′R²′,        R¹′ R²′ being select from H or C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   Hydroxy-C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   C₂₋₆ alkoxyalkyl,    -   tetrahydropyranyl, then A cannot be substituted in the        3-position with    -   phenyl, pyridine, or pyrimidine, each of which may optionally be        substituted with up to four substituents selected from Cl, Br,        C₁₋₃-alkyl, or C₁₋₃-alkoxy and CF₃, naphtyl optionally        substituted with halogen, C₁₋₃-alkyl, or C₁₋₃-alkoxy.-   105. an embodiment according to embodiment 103 or 104 wherein    wherein B is Error! Objects cannot be created from editing field    codes.-   Embodiment 106. A compound according to embodiment 103 or 104    wherein B is

-   R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁶ are independently selected from the group    consisting of    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃; or    -   —NR¹⁰R¹¹; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        arylthio, heteroarylthio, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, arylsulfonyl, heteroarylsulfonyl, aryl,        heteroaryl, C₁₋₆-alkyl-carbonyl, —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyloxy,        amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl or        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl each of which is optionally        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R¹²; or    -   —CO—NR¹³R¹⁴, C₁₋₆-alkyl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl;-   R¹⁰ and R¹¹ independently represent hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl-C(O)OH,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or aryl;-   R¹² is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R¹³ and R¹⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl,    or heteroaryl, each of which is optionally substituted with one or    more substituents independently selected from R¹⁵; or R¹³ and R¹⁴    together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a    heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R¹⁵ is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R⁵ is selected from    -   C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₂₋₆-alkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylcarbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)carbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R³²; or    -   aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        aryl-sulfonyl or aryl-S—C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the aryl group may        be substituted with one or more substituents independently        selected from R²⁰; or    -   heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₃₋₈-heterocyclyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl wherein        the heteroaryl or heterocyclyl group may be substituted with one        or more substituents independently selected from R²⁶; or    -   —C₁₋₆-alkyl-C(O)—NR²⁸R²⁹ or —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²⁸R²⁹; wherein the        alkyl part may be substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R³³; or    -   —C(O)NR³⁰R³¹ or S(O)₂—R³²; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R³²;-   R³² and R³³ are independently halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy,    —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃, —C(O)NR³⁰R³¹ or —S(O)₂NH₂

R²⁰ is

-   -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        C,-6-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylamino C₁₋₆-alkyl, di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R²¹; or    -   —NR²²R²³ or —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²²R²³ optionally substituted with one        or more substituents independently selected from R³⁴; or    -   —CONR²⁴R²⁵;

-   R²¹ is halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃,    —S(O)₂NH₂ or carboxy;

-   R²² and R²³ are independently selected from hydrogen,    —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₁₋₆-alkyl;

-   R²⁴ and R²⁵ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl or    heteroaryl, or R²⁴ and R²⁵ together with the nitrogen to which they    are attached form a heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine    or morpholine;

-   R²⁶ is    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —CO—NR¹³R¹⁴; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, sulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino        C₁₋₆-alkyl, di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁷;

-   R²⁷ is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, or carboxy;

-   R²⁸ and R²⁹ are independently selected from hydrogen,    —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₁₋₆-alkyl;

-   R³⁰ and R³¹ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl,    heteroaryl, or R³⁰ and R³¹ together with the nitrogen to which they    are attached form a heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine    or morpholine;

-   R³⁴ is halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃,    —S(O)₂NH₂ or carboxy;

-   as well as any salt hereof with a pharmaceutically acceptable acid    or base, or any optical isomer or mixture of optical isomers,    including a racemic mixture, or any tautomeric forms, with the    exception of the compounds

-   and with the proviso that if A is thiazolyl, then A cannot be    substituted in the 4-position with    -   C₅₋₈-cycloalkyl optionally substituted with C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   aryl optionally substituted with one or more substituents        selected from halogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₃ alkoxy or C₁₋₃        thioalkoxy, nitro, CF₃,    -   heteroaryl substituted with one or more substituents selected        from C₁₋₃-alkyl or halogen and with the proviso that if A is        thiadiazolyl and B indolyl substituted on the nitrogen atom with    -   —C(O)—C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)R wherein n is 1 or 2 and R is OR¹′ or NR¹′R²′,        R¹′ R²′ being selected from H or C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   Hydroxy-C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   C₂₋₆ alkoxyalkyl,    -   tetrahydropyranyl,-   then A cannot be substituted in the 3-position with    -   phenyl, pyridine, or pyrimidine, each of which may optionally be        substituted with up to four substituents selected from Cl, Br,        C₁₋₃-alkyl, or C₁₋₃-alkoxy and CF₃,    -   naphtyl optionally substituted with halogen, C₁₋₃-alkyl, or        C₁₋₃-alkoxy.-   Embodiment 107. A compound according to embodiment 103 or 104    wherein B is

-   R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁶ are independently selected from the group    consisting of    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃; or    -   —NR¹⁰R¹¹; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆alkyl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        arylthio, heteroarylthio, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, arylsulfonyl, heteroarylsulfonyl, aryl,        heteroaryl, C₁₋₆-alkyl-carbonyl, —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyloxy,        amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl or        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl each of which is optionally        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R¹²; or    -   —CO—NR¹³R¹⁴, C₁₋₆-alkyl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl;        with the proviso, that if R¹, R², R⁴, and R⁶ are all hydrogen,        then R³ is selected from the group consisting of    -   carboxy, or    -   —NR¹⁰R¹¹; or    -   —NH—C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl,    -   —NH—S(O)₂—C₁₋₆-alkyl,    -   C₂₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkoxy, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, C₂₋₆-alkylthio,        arylthio, heteroarylthio, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₂₋₆-alkylsulfonyl,        C₂₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, arylsulfonyl, heteroarylsulfonyl, aryl,        heteroaryl, C₁₋₆-alkyl-carbonyl, —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyloxy,        amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl or        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl each of which is optionally        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R¹²; or    -   —CO—NR¹³R¹⁴;-   R¹⁰ and R¹¹ independently represent hydrogen, C¹⁻⁶-alkyl,    —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl-C(O)OH,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or aryl;-   R¹² is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R¹³ and R¹⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl,    or heteroaryl, each of which is optionally substituted with one or    more substituents independently selected from R¹⁵; or R¹³ and R¹⁴    together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a    heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R¹⁵ is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R⁵ is selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylcarbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)carbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R³²; or    -   aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        aryl-sulfonyl or aryl-S—C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the aryl group may        be substituted with one or more substituents independently        selected from R²⁰; or    -   heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₃₋₈-heterocyclyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl wherein        the heteroaryl or heterocyclyl group may be substituted with one        or more substituents independently selected from R²⁶; or    -   —C₁₋₆-alkyl-C(O)—NR²⁸R²⁹ or —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²⁸R²⁹; wherein the        alkyl part may be substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R³³; or    -   —C(O)NR³⁰R³¹ or S(O)₂—R³²;-   R³² and R³³ are independently halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy,    —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂-   R²⁰ is    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylamino C₁₋₆alkyl, di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R²¹; or    -   —NR²²R²³ or —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²²R²³ optionally substituted with one        or more substituents independently selected from R₃₄; or    -   —CONR²⁴R²⁵;-   R²¹ is halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃,    —S(O)₂NH₂ or carboxy;-   R²² and R²³ are independently selected from hydrogen,    —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₁₋₆-alkyl;-   R²⁴ and R²⁵ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl    or heteroaryl, or R²⁴ and R²⁵ together with the nitrogen to which    they are attached form a heterocycle such as piperazine,    homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R²⁶ is    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, sulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino        C₁₋₆-alkyl, di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁷;-   R²⁷ is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, or carboxy;-   R²⁸ and R²⁹ are independently selected from hydrogen,    —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₁₋₆-alkyl;-   R³⁰ and R³¹ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆alkyl, aryl,    heteroaryl, or R³⁰ and R³¹ together with the nitrogen to which they    are attached form a heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine    or morpholine;-   R³⁴ is halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃,    —S(O)₂NH₂ or carboxy;-   as well as any salt hereof with a pharmaceutically acceptable acid    or base, or any optical isomer or mixture of optical isomers,    including a racemic mixture, or any tautomeric forms, with the    exception of the compounds

-   and with the proviso that if A is thiazolyl, then A cannot be    substituted in the 4-position with    -   C₅₋₈-cycloalkyl optionally substituted with C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   aryl optionally substituted with one or more substituents        selected from halogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₃ alkoxy or C₁₋₃        thioalkoxy, nitro, CF₃,    -   heteroaryl substituted with one or more substituents selected        from C₁₋₃-alkyl or halogen and with the proviso that if A is        thiadiazolyl and B is indolyl substituted on the nitrogen atom        with    -   —C(O)—C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)R wherein n is 1 or 2 and R is OR¹′ or NR¹′R²′,        R¹′ R²′ being selected from H or C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   Hydroxy-C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   C₂₋₆ alkoxyalkyl,    -   tetrahydropyranyl, then A cannot be substituted in the        3-position with    -   phenyl, pyridine, or pyrimidine, each of which may optionally be        substituted with up to four substituents selected from Cl, Br,        C₁₋₃-alkyl, or C₁₋₃-alkoxy and CF₃,    -   naphtyl optionally substituted with halogen, C₁₋₃-alkyl, or        C₁₋₃-alkoxy.-   Embodiment 108. A compound according to embodiment 103 or 104    wherein B is

-   R¹, R², R³, R⁴, and R⁶ are independently selected from the group    consisting of    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃; or    -   —NR¹⁰R¹¹; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        arylthio, heteroarylthio, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, arylsulfonyl, heteroarylsulfonyl, aryl,        heteroaryl, C₁₋₆-alkyl-carbonyl, —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyloxy,        amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl or        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl each of which is optionally        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R¹²; or    -   —CO—NR¹³R¹⁴;-   R¹⁰ and R¹¹ independently represent hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl-C(O)OH,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or aryl;-   R¹² is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R¹³ and R¹⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl,    or heteroaryl, each of which is optionally substituted with one or    more substituents independently selected from R¹⁵; or R¹³ and R¹⁴    together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a    heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R¹⁵ is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R⁵ is selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylcarbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)carbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R³²; or    -   aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        aryl-sulfonyl or aryl-S—C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the aryl group may        be substituted with one or more substituents independently        selected from R²⁰; or    -   heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₃₋₈-heterocyclyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl wherein        the heteroaryl or heterocyclyl group may be substituted with one        or more substituents independently selected from R²⁶; or    -   —C₁₋₆-alkyl-C(O)—NR²⁸R²⁹ or —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²⁸R²⁹; wherein the        alkyl part may be substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R³³; or    -   —C(O)NR³⁰R³¹ or S(O)₂—R³²;-   R³² and R³³ are independently halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy,    —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂-   R²⁰ is    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        C₁6-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylamino C₁₋₆-alkyl, di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R²¹; or    -   —NR²²R²³ or —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²²R²³ optionally substituted with one        or more substituents independently selected from R³⁴; or    -   —CONR²⁴R²⁵;-   R²¹ is halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃,    —S(O)₂NH₂ or carboxy;-   R²² and R²³ are independently selected from hydrogen,    —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₁₋₆-alkyl;-   R²⁴ and R²⁵ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl    or heteroaryl, or R²⁴ and R²⁵ together with the nitrogen to which    they are attached form a heterocycle such as piperazine,    homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R²⁶ is    -   hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, sulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfamoyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfamoyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinamoyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)sulfinamoyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino        C₁₋₆-alkyl, di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁷;-   R²⁷ is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, or carboxy;-   R²⁸ and R²⁹ are independently selected from hydrogen,    —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl or C₁₋₆-alkyl;-   R³⁰ and R³¹ are independently selected from the group consisting of    hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl,    heteroaryl, or R³⁰ and R³¹ together with the nitrogen to which they    are attached form a heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine    or morpholine;-   R³⁴ is halogen, nitro, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃,    —S(O)₂NH₂ or carboxy;

A is heteroaryl which is substituted with one or more substituentsselected independently from R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴²

-   R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² are independently selected from    -   halogen, carboxy, cyano, nitro, hydroxy, —CF₃, —SCN; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylamino,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl,        —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —NH—C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        —C₁₋₆-alkyl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which        is optionally substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴³; or    -   aryl, heteroaryl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        aryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, heteroaryl-thio-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryloxy,        heteroaryloxy, arylthio, heteroarylthio, arylsulfonyl,        heteroarylsulfonyl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylamino, each of which is        optionally substituted on the aryl or heteroaryl part with one        or more substituents independently selected from R₄₄; or    -   C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally        substituted on the cycloalkyl part with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴⁵; or    -   —NR⁴⁶R⁴⁷, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR⁴⁶R⁴⁷,        —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S—R⁴⁸—C₁₋₆-alkyl-S(O)—R⁴⁸, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S(O)₂—R⁴⁸        wherein each alkyl part may be substituted with one or more        substituents independently selected from R⁵²; or    -   —CONR⁴⁹R⁵⁰, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-CONR⁴⁹R⁵⁰ optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R⁵³; or        two of R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² can be taken together to form a        C₂₋₅-alkylene bridge;-   R⁴³, R⁴⁴, and R⁴⁵ are independently C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, nitro,    cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl,    —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R⁴⁶ and R⁴⁷ independently represent hydrogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl or R⁴⁴ and    R⁴⁵ together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a    heterocycle such as piperazine, homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R⁴⁸ is selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl; or    -   aryl, heteroaryl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, or heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        wherein the aryl or heteroaryl part is optionally substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R⁵¹;        or    -   C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,-   R⁴⁹ and R⁵⁰ are independently selected from hydrogen and C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   R⁵¹ is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, or carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   R⁵² and R⁵³ are independently C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano,    hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂;-   with the proviso that when A is a monosubstituted heteroaryl R⁴⁰ is    selected from    -   carboxy, hydroxy , —SCN; or    -   C₂₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        —NH₂—C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S—C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₂₋₆-alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₂₋₆-alkyl or hydroxy-C₂₋₆-alkyl, each of which        is optionally substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴³; or    -   aryl, heteroaryl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        aryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, heteroaryl-thio-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryloxy,        heteroaryloxy, arylthio, heteroarylthio, arylsulfonyl,        heteroarylsulfonyl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkylamino, each of which is        optionally substituted on the aryl or heteroaryl part with one        or more substituents independently selected from R⁴⁴; or    -   C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally        substituted on the cycloalkyl part with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴⁵; or    -   —NR⁴⁶R⁴⁷, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR⁴⁶R⁴⁷,        —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S—R⁴⁸—C₁₋₆-alkyl-S(O)₂—R⁴⁸, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S(O)₂—R⁴⁸        wherein each alkyl part may be substituted with one or more        substituents independently selected from R⁵²; or    -   —CONR⁴⁹R⁵⁰, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-CONR⁴⁹R⁵⁰ optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R⁵³;-   R⁴³, R⁴⁴, and R⁴⁵ are independently C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, nitro,    cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, —S(O)₂CH₃, or    —S(O)₂NH₂;-   R⁴⁶ and R⁴⁷ independently represent hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl,    carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl or R⁴⁴ and R⁴⁵ together with    the nitrogen to which they are attached form a heterocycle such as    piperazine, homopiperazine or morpholine;-   R⁴⁸ is selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl; or    -   aryl, heteroaryl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, or heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        wherein the aryl or heteroaryl part is optionally substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R⁵¹;        or    -   C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl-   R⁴⁹ and R⁵⁰ are independently selected from hydrogen and C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   R⁵¹ is halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, C₁₋₆-alkyl,    hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, or carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   R⁵² and R⁵³ are independently C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano,    hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, —S(O)₂CH₃, or —S(O)₂NH₂-   as well as any salt hereof with a pharmaceutically acceptable acid    or base, or any optical isomer or mixture of optical isomers,    including a racemic mixture, or any tautomeric forms, with the    exception of the compounds

-   and with the proviso that if A is thiazolyl, then A cannot be    substituted in the 4-position with    -   C₅₋₈-cycloalkyl optionally substituted with C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   aryl optionally substituted with one or more substituents        selected from halogen, C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₃ alkoxy or C₁₋₃        thioalkoxy, nitro, CF₃,    -   heteroaryl substituted with one or more substituents selected        from C₁₋₃-alkyl or halogen and with the proviso that if A is        thiadiazolyl and B is unsubstituted indolyl or indolyl        substituted on the nitrogen atom with    -   —C(O)—C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   —(CH₂)_(n)C(O)R wherein n is 1 or 2 and R is OR¹′ or NR¹′R²′,        R¹′ R²′ being selected from H or C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   Hydroxy-C₁₋₄-alkyl,    -   C₂₋₆ alkoxyalkyl,    -   tetrahydropyranyl,-   then A cannot be substituted in the 3-position with    -   phenyl, pyridine, or pyrimidine, each of which may optionally be        substituted with up to four substituents selected from Cl, Br,        C₁₋₃-alkyl, or C₁₋₃-alkoxy and CF₃,    -   naphtyl optionally substituted with halogen, C₁₋₃-alkyl, or        C₁₋₃-alkoxy.-   Embodiment 109. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 108 wherein B

-   Embodiment 110. A compound according to embodiment 109 wherein B is

-   Embodiment 111. A compound according to embodiment 110 wherein B is

-   Embodiment 112. A compound according to embodiment 111 wherein B is

-   Embodiment 113. A compound according to embodiment 110 wherein B is

-   Embodiment 114. A compound according to embodiment 111 wherein B is

-   Embodiment 115. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 114 wherein at least one of the substituents R¹, R², R³ and    R⁴ is different from H.-   Embodiment 116. A compound according to embodiment 115 wherein R³ is    different from H.-   Embodiment 117. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 116 wherein A is thiazolyl, oxazolyl, isoxazolyl,    1,3,4-thiadiazolyl 1,2,4-thiadiazolyl, 1,3,4-oxadiazolyl,    1,2,4-oxadiazolyl, pyrazolyl, 1,2,4-triazolyl, tetrazolyl,    3-oxo-pyrazolyl, 3-oxo-imidazolyl, 3-oxo-thiazolyl, thiazolidinyl,    pyridyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, 1,3,5-triazinyl, 1,2,4-triazinyl,    benzimidazolyl, 4-oxo-pyrimidyl, pyridazinyl or 2-oxo-pyrimidyl,    each of which may optionally be substituted with one or more    substituents independently selected from R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴².-   Embodiment 118. A compound according to embodiment 117 wherein A is    thiazolyl, 1,3,4-thiadiazolyl 1,2,4-thiadiazolyl, pyridyl, or    pyrimidinyl, each of which may optionally be substituted with one or    more substituents independently selected from R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴².-   Embodiment 119. A compound according to embodiment 118 wherein A is    thiazolyl or 1,2,4-thiadiazolyl, each of which may optionally be    substituted with one or more substituents independently selected    from R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴².-   Embodiment 120. A compound according to embodiment 118 wherein A is

-   Embodiment 121. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    117 to 120 wherein A is

-   Embodiment 122. A compound according to embodiment 121 wherein A is

-   Embodiment 123. A compound according to embodiment 122 wherein A is

-   Embodiment 124. A compound according to embodiment 121 wherein A is

-   Embodiment 125. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 124 wherein R⁶ and R⁷ are hydrogen.-   Embodiment 126. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 125 wherein R¹, R², R³ and R⁴ are independently selected from    the group consisting of    -   hydrogen, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃; or    -   —NR¹⁰R¹¹; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryl-C₁₋₆-alkoxy, aryloxy,        heteroaryloxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio, C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfinyl, aryl, heteroaryl, C₁₋₆-alkyl-carbonyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, or        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyloxy, each of which is optionally substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R¹²;        or    -   —CO—NR¹³R¹⁴, C₁₋₆-alkyl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C(O)—C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl.-   Embodiment 127. A compound according to embodiment 126 wherein R¹,    R², R³ and R⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting    of    -   hydrogen, halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃; or    -   —NR¹⁰R¹¹; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, benzyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, benzyloxy, phenyl,        C₁₋₆-alkyl-carbonyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyloxy, each of which is optionally substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R¹²;        or    -   —CO—NR¹³R¹⁴.-   Embodiment 128. A compound according to embodiment 127 wherein R¹,    R², R³ and R⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting    of    -   hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃; or    -   —NR¹⁰R¹¹; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl or        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyloxy, each of which is optionally substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R¹²;        or    -   —CO—NR¹³R¹⁴.-   Embodiment 129. A compound according to embodiment 128 wherein R¹,    R², R³ and R⁴ are independently selected from the group consisting    of    -   hydrogen, F, Cl, Br, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃; or    -   —NR¹⁰R¹¹; or    -   methyl, ethyl, propyl, —CH₂—C(O)OH, —(CH₂)₂—C(O)OH, —CH₂—OH,        —(CH₂)₂—OH, —O—CH₂—C(O)OH, —(CH₂)₂—N(CH₃)₂, —O—(CH₂)₂—C(O)OH; or        —CO—NR³R¹⁴.-   Embodiment 130. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 129 wherein R¹⁰ and R¹¹ independently represent hydrogen,    methyl, —C(O)—CH₃, —C(O)—CH₂CH₃, —CH₂—C(O)OH, —(CH₂)₂—C(O)OH,    —C(O)—CH₂—C(O)OH, or —S(O)₂CH₃.-   Embodiment 131. A compound according to embodiment 130 wherein R¹⁰    is H and R¹¹ is hydrogen, methyl, —C(O)—CH₃, —C(O)—CH₂CH₃,    —CH₂—C(O)OH, —(CH₂)₂—C(O)OH, —C(O)—CH₂—C(O)OH, or —S(O)₂CH₃.-   Embodiment 132. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 131 wherein R¹² is halogen.-   Embodiment 133. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 132 wherein R¹³ and R¹⁴ are independently selected from the    group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, or propyl.-   Embodiment 134. A compound according to embodiment 133 wherein both    R¹³ and R¹⁴ are hydrogen, or both are methyl, or both are ethyl, or    both are propyl.-   Embodiment 135. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 132 wherein R¹³ and R¹⁴ together with the nitrogen to which    they are attached form a morpholine ring.-   Embodiment 136. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 135 wherein R¹⁵ is halogen.-   Embodiment 137. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 136 wherein R⁵ is selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        cyanomethyl, carboxymethyl, C₁₋₆-alkylcarbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)carbamoyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl; each of which may        optionally be substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R³²; or    -   phenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the phenyl group may be substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁰;        or    -   heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₃₋₈-heterocyclyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl wherein the        heteroaryl or heterocyclyl group may be substituted with one or        more substituents independently selected from R²⁶, wherein the        heteroaryl part is selected from furyl, thienyl, pyrrolyl,        pyrazolyl, 3-oxopyrazolyl, oxazolyl, thiazolyl, imidazolyl,        isoxazolyl, isothiazolyl, 1,2,3-triazolyl, 1,2,4-triazolyl,        pyranyl, pyridyl, pyridazinyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl,        1,2,3-triazinyl, 1,2,4-triazinyl, 1,3,5-triazinyl,        1,2,3-oxadiazolyl, 1,2,4-oxadiazolyl, 1,2,5-oxadiazolyl,        1,3,4-oxadiazolyl, 1,2,3-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,4-thiadiazolyl,        1,2,5-thiadiazolyl, 1,3,4-thiadiazolyl, tetrazolyl,        thiadiazinyl, indolyl, isoindolyl, benzofuryl, benzothienyl,        indazolyl, benzimidazolyl, benzthiazolyl, benzisothiazolyl,        benzoxazolyl, benzisoxazolyl, purinyl, quinazolinyl,        quinolizinyl, quinolinyl, isoquinolinyl, quinoxalinyl,        naphthyridinyl, pteridinyl, carbazolyl, azepinyl, diazepinyl,        acridinyl, thiazolidinyl, 2-thiooxothiazolidinyl; or    -   —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²⁸R²⁹; or    -   —CONR³⁰R³¹.-   Embodiment 138. A compound according to embodiment 137 wherein R⁵ is    selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆alkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        cyanomethyl, carboxymethyl, C₁₋₆-alkylcarbamoylmethyl,        di-(C₁₋₆-alkyl)carbamoylmethyl; each of which may optionally be        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R³²; or    -   Phenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the phenyl group may be substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁰;        or    -   Heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₃₋₈-heterocyclyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl wherein the        heteroaryl or heterocyclyl group may be substituted with one or        more substituents independently selected from R²⁶, wherein the        heteroaryl part is selected from furyl, thienyl, pyrrolyl,        pyrazolyl, oxazolyl, thiazolyl, imidazolyl, 1,2,3-triazolyl,        1,2,4-triazolyl, pyranyl, pyridyl, pyrimidinyl,        1,2,3-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,4-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,5-thiadiazolyl,        1,3,4-thiadiazolyl, indolyl, isoindolyl, benzofuryl,        benzothienyl, benzimidazolyl, benzoxazolyl, purinyl, quinolinyl,        isoquinolinyl, or thiazolidinyl; or    -   —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²⁸R²⁹; or    -   —CONR³⁰R³¹.-   Embodiment 139. A compound according to embodiment 138 wherein R⁵ is    selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each        of which may optionally be substituted with one or more        substituents independently selected from R³²; or    -   Phenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the phenyl group may be substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁰;        or    -   —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²⁸R²⁹; or    -   —CONR³⁰R³¹.-   Embodiment 140. A compound according to embodiment 139 wherein R⁵ is    selected from    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₂₋₆-alkenyl, C₂₋₆-alkynyl,        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each        of which may optionally be substituted with one or more        substituents independently selected from R³²; or    -   Phenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the phenyl group may be substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁰.-   Embodiment 141. A compound according to embodiment 140 wherein R⁵ is    selected from    -   methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl,        tert-butyl, n-pentyl, isopentyl, neopentyl, tert-pentyl, wherein        each alkyl is optionally substituted with one or more        substituents independently selected from R³², vinyl, 1-propenyl,        2-propenyl, iso-propenyl, 1,3-butadienyl, 1-butenyl, 2-butenyl,        3-butenyl, 2-methyl-1-propenyl, 1-pentenyl, 2-pentenyl,        3-pentenyl, 4-pentenyl, 3-methyl-2-butenyl, ethynyl, 1-propynyl,        2-propynyl, 1-butynyl, 2-butynyl, 3-butynyl, 1-pentynyl,        2-pentynyl, 3-pentynyl, 4-pentynyl,

-   -   or    -   Phenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the phenyl group may be substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁰.

-   Embodiment 142. A compound according to embodiment 141 wherein R⁵ is    selected from    -   methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl,        tert-butyl, wherein each alkyl is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R³², vinyl,        1-propenyl, 2-propenyl, iso-propenyl, 1,3-butadienyl, 1-butenyl,        2-butenyl, 3-butenyl, 2-methyl-1-propenyl, 3-methyl-2-butenyl,

-   -   or    -   Phenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, wherein the phenyl group may be substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R²⁰.

-   Embodiment 143. A compound according to embodiment 142 wherein R⁵ is    selected from    -   methyl, ethyl, propyl, wherein each alkyl is optionally        substituted with one or more substituents independently selected        from R³², 1-propenyl, 2-propenyl, iso-propenyl,        2-methyl-1-propenyl, 3-methyl-2-butenyl,

-   -   Benzyl, wherein the phenyl part may be substituted with one or        more substituents independently selected from R²⁰.

-   Embodiment 144. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 143 wherein R²⁰ is    -   halogen, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        C₁₋₆-alkylsulfonyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is optionally substituted with        one or more substituents independently selected from R²¹; or    -   —NR²²R²³, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR²²R²³; or    -   —CONR²⁴R²⁵.

-   Embodiment 145. A compound according to embodiment 144 wherein R²⁰    is    -   halogen, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl; or    -   —NR²²R²³ or    -   —CONR²⁴R²⁵.

-   Embodiment 146. A compound according to embodiment 145 wherein R²⁰    is    -   halogen, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl.

-   Embodiment 147. A compound according to embodiment 146 wherein R²⁰    is halogen, cyano, CF₃, hydroxy, carboxy, —O—CH₃, —O—(CH₃)₂, methyl,    ethyl, or propyl.

-   Embodiment 148. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 147 wherein R²¹ is halogen.

-   Embodiment 149. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 148 wherein R²² and R²³ are independently selected from    hydrogen, —C(O)—CH₂, methyl, ethyl or propyl.

-   Embodiment 150. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 149 wherein R²⁴ and R²⁵ are independently selected from the    group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl or propyl.

-   Embodiment 151. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 150 wherein R²⁶ is    -   halogen, nitro, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy; or    -   —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is        optionally substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R²⁷.

-   Embodiment 152. A compound according to embodiment 151 wherein R²⁶    is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, methoxy, ethoxy, methyl, ethyl    or propyl.

-   Embodiment 153. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 152 wherein R²⁷ is halogen.

-   Embodiment 154. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 153 wherein R²⁸ and R²⁹ are independently selected from    hydrogen or methyl.

-   Embodiment 155. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 154 wherein R³⁰ and R³¹ are independently selected from    hydrogen or methyl.

-   Embodiment 156. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 155 wherein R³² is halogen or cyano.

-   Embodiment 157. A compound according to embodiment 156 wherein R³²    is halogen.

-   Embodiment 158. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 157 wherein R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² are independently selected from    -   halogen, carboxy, cyano, hydroxy, —CF₃, —SCN; or    -   C₁₋₆-alkyl, C₁₋₆-alkoxy, C₁₋₆-alkylthio, —C(O)—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        —C₁₋₆-alkyl-O—C₁₋₆-alkyl, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S—C₁₋₆-alkyl,        carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, di(C₁₋₆-alkyl)amino-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        C₁₋₆-alkylamino-C₁₋₆-alkyl, or hydroxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which        is optionally substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴³; or    -   phenyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, naphtyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        phenyl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, naphtyl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio,        heteroaryl-C₁₋₆-alkylthio, heteroaryl-thio-C₁₋₆-alkyl,        phenyloxy, heteroaryloxy, or heteroarylthio, wherein each        heteroaryl part is selected from furyl, thienyl, pyrrolyl,        pyrazolyl, oxazolyl, thiazolyl, imidazolyl, 1,2,3-triazolyl,        1,2,4-triazolyl, pyranyl, pyridyl, pyrimidinyl,        1,2,3-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,4-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,5-thiadiazolyl,        1,3,4-thiadiazolyl, indolyl, isoindolyl, benzofuryl,        benzothienyl, benzimidazolyl, benzoxazolyl, purinyl, quinolinyl,        isoquinolinyl, or thiazolidinyl, and wherein each aryl or        heteroaryl part is optionally substituted with one or more        substituents independently selected from R⁴⁴; or p1        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-C₁₋₆-alkyl, each of which is        optionally substituted on the cycloalkyl part with one or more        substituents independently selected from R⁴⁵; or    -   —NR⁴⁶R⁴⁷, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-NR⁴⁶R⁴⁷, —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S(O)—R⁴⁸,        —C₁₋₆-alkyl-S(O)₂—R⁴⁸ wherein each alkyl part may be substituted        with one or more substituents independently selected from R⁵²;        two of R⁴⁰, R⁴¹and R⁴² can be taken together to form a        C₂₋₅-alkylene bridge.

-   Embodiment 159. A compound according to embodiment 158 wherein R⁴⁰,    R⁴¹ and R⁴² are independently selected from    -   halogen, cyano, —CF₃, —SCN; or    -   methyl, ethyl propyl, butyl, methoxy, ethoxy, —C(O)—CH₃,        —C(O)—CH₂CH₃, —CH₂OH, —CH₂CH₂OH, —(CH₂)₂—N(CH₃)₂, —CH₂—O—CH₂,        —CH₂CH₂—O—CH₂, —CH₂—S—CH₂, —CH₂CH₂—S—CH₂; or    -   phenyl-methyl, phenyl-ethyl, naphtyl-methyl, naphtyl-ethyl,        heteroaryl-methyl, heteroaryl-ethyl, phenyl-methylthio,        phenyl-ethylthio, heteroaryl-methylthio, heteroaryl-ethylthio,        heteroaryl-thio-methyl, heteroaryl-thio-ethyl, each of which is        optionally substituted on the aryl or heteroaryl part with one        or more substituents independently selected from R⁴⁴ and wherein        heteroaryl is selected from

-   -   Cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl,        cyclopropyl-methyl, cyclobutyl-methyl, cyclopentyl-methyl,        cyclohexyl-methyl, cyclopropyl-ethyl, cyclobutyl-ethyl,        cyclopentyl-ethyl, cyclohexyl-ethyl, each of which is optionally        substituted on the cycloalkyl part with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴⁵; or        two of R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² can be taken together to form a        C₂₋₅-alkylene bridge.

-   Embodiment 160. A compound according to embodiment 159 wherein R⁴⁰,    R⁴¹ and R⁴² are independently selected from    -   halogen, cyano, —CF₃, —SCN; or    -   methyl, ethyl, —C(O)—CH₃, —CH₂OH, —CH₂CH₂OH, —CH₂—O—CH₂,        —CH₂CH₂—O—CH₂, —CH₂—S—CH₂, —CH₂CH₂—S—CH₂; or    -   heteroaryl-methyl, heteroaryl-ethyl, phenyl-methylthio,        phenyl-ethylthio, heteroaryl-thio-methyl, heteroaryl-thio-ethyl,        each of which is optionally substituted on the aryl or        heteroaryl part with one or more substituents independently        selected from R⁴⁴ and wherein heteroaryl is selected from

-   -   Cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl,        cyclopropyl-methyl, cyclobutyl-methyl, cyclopentyl-methyl,        cyclohexyl-methyl, cyclopropyl-ethyl, cyclobutyl-ethyl,        cyclopentyl-ethyl, cyclohexyl-ethyl, each of which is optionally        substituted on the cycloalkyl part with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁴⁵; or        two of R⁴⁰, R⁴¹ and R⁴² can be taken together to form a        C₂₋₅-alkylene bridge.

-   Embodiment 161. A compound according to embodiment 160 wherein R⁴⁰,    R⁴¹ and R⁴² are independently selected from    -   halogen, cyano, —CF₃, —SCN; or    -   methyl, ethyl, —C(O)—CH₃, —CH₂OH, —CH₂CH₂OH, —CH₂—O—CH₂,        —CH₂CH₂—O—CH₂, —CH₂—S—CH₂, —CH₂CH₂—S—CH₂; or

-   Embodiment 162. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 161 wherein R⁴³ is C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, cyano, hydroxy,    carboxy, —C(O)—O—C₁₋₆-alkyl or —CF₃.-   Embodiment 163. A compound according to embodiment 162 wherein R⁴³    is methyl, ethyl, —C(O)—O—CH₃, —C(O)—O—CH₂CH₃, —C(O)—O—CH₂CH₂CH₃, or    halogen.-   Embodiment 164. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 163 wherein R⁴⁴ is C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano,    hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, or carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   Embodiment 165. A compound according to embodiment 164 wherein R⁴⁴    is methyl, ethyl, halogen, —CH₂—COOH, or —CH₂—CH₂—COOH.-   Embodiment 166. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 165 wherein R⁴⁵ is C₁₋₆-alkyl, halogen, nitro, cyano,    hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃, or carboxy-C₁₋₆-alkyl.-   Embodiment 167. A compound according to embodiment 166 wherein R⁴⁵    is methyl, ethyl, halogen, —CH₂—COOH, or —CH₂—CH₂—COOH.-   Embodiment 168. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 167 wherein R⁴⁶ and R⁴⁷ independently represent hydrogen,    methyl, ethyl, hydroxy-methyl, hydroxy-methyl, carboxy-methyl,    carboxy-ethyl, or phenyl, or R⁴⁴ and R⁴⁵ together with the nitrogen    to which they are attached form a heterocycle selected from    piperazine, homopiperazine or morpholine.-   Embodiment 169. A compound according embodiment 168 wherein R⁴⁶ and    R⁴⁷ independently represent hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, or phenyl, or    R⁴⁴ and R⁴⁵ together with the nitrogen to which they are attached    form a heterocycle selected from piperazine, homopiperazine or    morpholine.-   Embodiment 170. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 169 wherein R⁴⁸ is selected from    -   carboxy-methyl, carboxy-ethyl, hydroxy-methyl or hydroxy-ethyl;        or    -   phenyl, naphtyl, heteroaryl, phenylmethyl, phenylethyl,        heteroaryl-methyl or heteroaryl-methyl, wherein each heteroaryl        part is selected from furyl, thienyl, pyrrolyl, pyrazolyl,        oxazolyl, thiazolyl, imidazolyl, 1,2,3-triazolyl,        1,2,4-triazolyl, pyranyl, pyridyl, pyrimidinyl,        1,2,3-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,4-thiadiazolyl, 1,2,5-thiadiazolyl,        1,3,4-thiadiazolyl, indolyl, isoindolyl, benzofuryl,        benzothienyl, benzimidazolyl, benzoxazolyl, purinyl, quinolinyl,        isoquinolinyl, tetrazolyl, or thiazolidinyl, and wherein the        aryl or heteroaryl part is optionally substituted with one or        more substituents independently selected from R⁵¹; or    -   C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl, C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-methyl or        C₃₋₈-cycloalkyl-ethyl.-   Embodiment 171. A compound according to embodiment 170 wherein R⁴⁸    is selected from    -   carboxy-methyl, carboxy-ethyl, hydroxy-methyl or hydroxy-ethyl;        or    -   phenyl, heteroaryl, phenylmethyl, phenylethyl, heteroaryl-methyl        or heteroaryl-methyl, wherein each heteroaryl part is selected        from imidazolyl, 1,2,3-triazolyl, 1,2,4-triazolyl, or        tetrazolyl, and wherein the aryl or heteroaryl part is        optionally substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁵¹; or    -   Cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl,        cyclopropyl-methyl, cyclobutyl-methyl, cyclopentyl-methyl,        cyclohexyl-methyl, cyclopropyl-ethyl, cyclobutyl-ethyl,        cyclopentyl-ethyl, or cyclohexyl-ethyl.-   Embodiment 172. A compound according to embodiment 171 wherein R⁴⁸    is selected from    -   carboxy-methyl, carboxy-ethyl, hydroxy-methyl or hydroxy-ethyl;        or    -   phenyl, heteroaryl, phenylmethyl, phenylethyl, heteroaryl-methyl        or heteroaryl-methyl, wherein each heteroaryl part is selected        from imidazolyl, 1,2,3-triazolyl, 1,2,4-triazolyl, or        tetrazolyl, and wherein the aryl or heteroaryl part is        optionally substituted with one or more substituents        independently selected from R⁵¹; or    -   Cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, or cyclopentyl.-   Embodiment 173. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 172 wherein R⁴⁹ and R⁵⁰ are independently selected from    hydrogen, methyl and ethyl.-   Embodiment 174. A compound according to embodiment 173 wherein R⁴⁹    and R⁵⁰ are both hydrogen.-   Embodiment 175. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 174 wherein R⁵¹ is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃,    methyl, ethyl, hydroxy-methyl, hydroxy-ethyl, carboxy-methyl or    carboxy-ethyl.-   Embodiment 176. A compound according to embodiment 175 wherein R⁵¹    is methyl, ethyl, hydroxy-methyl, hydroxy-ethyl, carboxy-methyl or    carboxy-ethyl.-   Embodiment 177. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 176 wherein R⁵² is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃,    methyl, ethyl, hydroxy-methyl, hydroxy-ethyl, carboxy-methyl or    carboxy-ethyl.-   Embodiment 178. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 177 wherein R⁵³ is halogen, cyano, hydroxy, carboxy, —CF₃,    methyl, ethyl, hydroxy-methyl, hydroxy-ethyl, carboxy-methyl or    carboxy-ethyl.-   Embodiment 179. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 178, which compound is an activator of glucokinase, when    tested in the Glucokinase Activation Assay (I) disclosed herein at a    glucose concentration of 2 mM.-   Embodiment 180. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 179, which compound is an activator of glucokinase, when    tested in the Glucokinase Activation Assay (I) disclosed herein at a    glucose concentration of from 10 to 15 mM.-   Embodiment 181. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 180, which compound, at a concentration of 30 μM, is capable    of providing an at least 1.5, such as at least 1.7, for instance at    least 2.0 fold activation of glucokinase in the Glucokinase    Activation Assay (I) disclosed herein at a glucose concentration of    2 mM.-   Embodiment 182. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 181, which compound, at a concentration of 30 μM, is capable    of providing an at least 1.5, such as at least 1.7, for instance at    least 2.0 fold activation of glucokinase in the Glucokinase    Activation Assay (I) disclosed herein at a glucose concentration of    from 10 to 15 mM.-   Embodiment 183. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 182, which at a concentration of 5 μM is capable of providing    an at least 1.5, such as at least 1.7, for instance at least 2.0    fold activation of glucokinase in the Glucokinase Activation    Assay (I) disclosed herein at a glucose concentration of 2 mM.-   Embodiment 184. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 183, which at a concentration of 5 μM is capable of providing    an at least 1.5, such as at least 1.7, for instance at least 2.0    fold activation of glucokinase in the Glucokinase Activation    Assay (I) disclosed herein at a glucose concentration of from 10 to    15 mM.-   Embodiment 185. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 184, which compound provides an increase in glucokinase    activity, where the increase in glucokinase activity provided by the    compound increases with increasing concentrations of glucose.-   Embodiment 186. A compound according to embodiment 184 or embodiment    185, which provides an increase in glucokinase activity in    Glucokinase Activation Assay (I) disclosed herein at a glucose    concentration of 15 mM, which increase is significantly higher than    the increase in glucokinase activity provided by the compound in    Glucokinase Activation Assay (I) disclosed herein at a glucose    concentration of 5 mM.-   Embodiment 187. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    184 to 186, which at a compound concentration of 10 μM provides an    increase in glucokinase activity in Glucokinase Activation Assay (I)    disclosed herein at a glucose concentration of 15 mM, which increase    is significantly higher than the increase in glucokinase activity    provided by the compound at a compound concentration of 10 μM in    Glucokinase Activation Assay (I) disclosed herein at a glucose    concentration of 5 mM.-   Embodiment 188. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    184 to 187, which at a compound concentration of 10 μM provides an    increase in glucokinase activity in Glucokinase Activation Assay (I)    disclosed herein at a glucose concentration of 15 mM, which increase    is at least 1.1 fold higher, such as at least 1.2 fold higher, for    instance at least 1.3 fold higher, such as at least 1.4 fold higher,    for instance 1.5 fold higher, such as at least 1.6 fold higher, for    instance at least 1.7 fold higher, such as at least 1.8 fold higher,    for instance at least 1.9 fold higher, such as at least 2.0 fold    higher than the increase in glucokinase activity provided by the    compound at a compound concentration of 10 μM in Glucokinase    Activation Assay (I) disclosed herein at a glucose concentration of    5 mM.-   Embodiment 189. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 188, which compound increases glucose utilization in the    liver without inducing any increase in insulin secretion in response    to glucose.-   Embodiment 190. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    103 to 188, which compound shows a significantly higher activity in    isolated hepatocytes compared to the activity of the compound in    Ins-1 cells.-   Embodiment 191. A compound according to any one of the embodiments    188 to 190, which compound shows a significantly higher activity in    isolated hepatocytes measured as described in the Glucokinase    Activity Assay (II) compared to the activity of the compound in    Ins-1 cells measured as described in the Glucokinase Activity Assay    (III).-   Embodiment 192. A compound according to embodiment 191, which    compound shows an activity in isolated hepatocytes measured as    described in the Glucokinase Activity Assay (II) which activity is    at least 1.1 fold higher, such as at least 1.2 fold higher, for    instance at least 1.3 fold higher, such as at least 1.4 fold higher,    for instance 1.5 fold higher, such as at least 1.6 fold higher, for    instance at least 1.7 fold higher, such as at least 1.8 fold higher,    for instance at least 1.9 fold higher, such as at least 2.0 fold    higher, for instance at least a 3.0 fold higher, such as at least a    4.0 fold higher, for instance at least 5.0 fold higher, such as at    least 10 fold higher than the activity of the compound in Ins-1    cells measured as described in the Glucokinase Activity Assay (III).-   Embodiment 193. A compound according to embodiment 191, which    compound shows no activity in the Ins-1 cells measured as described    in the Glucokinase Activity Assay (III).-   Embodiment 194. A compound according to any one of embodiments 103    to 193 for use as a medicament.-   Embodiment 195. A compound according to any one of embodiments 103    to 193 for treatment of hyperglycemia, for treatment of IGT, for    treatment of Syndrome X, for treatment of type 2 diabetes, for    treatment of type 1 diabetes, for treatment of dyslipidemia, for    treatment of hyperlipidemia, for treatment of hypertension, for    treatment of obesity, for lowering of food intake, for appetite    regulation, for regulating feeding behaviour, or for enhancing the    secretion of enteroincretins, such as GLP-1.-   Embodiment 196. A pharmaceutical composition comprising, as an    active ingredient, at least one compound according to any one of    embodiments 103 to 195 together with one or more pharmaceutically    acceptable carriers or excipients.-   Embodiment 197. A pharmaceutical composition according to embodiment    89 in unit dosage form, comprising from about 0.05 mg to about 1000    mg, preferably from about 0.1 mg to about 500 mg and especially    preferred from about 0.5 mg to about 200 mg of the compound    according to any one of embodiments 103 to 195.-   Embodiment 198. Use of a compound according to any one of the    embodiments 103 to 195 for the preparation of a medicament for    increasing the activity of glucokinase.-   Embodiment 199. The use according to embodiment 198 for the    preparation of a medicament for the treatment of metabolic    disorders, for blood glucose lowering, for the treatment of    hyperglycemia, for the treatment of IGT, for the treatment of    Syndrome X, for the treatment of impaired fasting glucose (IFG), for    the treatment of type 2 diabetes, for the treatment of type 1    diabetes, for delaying the progression of impaired glucose tolerance    (IGT) to type 2 diabetes, for delaying the progression of    non-insulin requiring type 2 diabetes to insulin requiring type 2    diabetes, for the treatment of dyslipidemia, for the treatment of    hyperlipidemia, for the treatment of hypertension, for lowering of    food intake, for appetite regulation, for the treatment of obesity,    for regulating feeding behaviour, or for enhancing the secretion of    enteroincretins.-   Embodiment 200. The use according to embodiment 198 for the    preparation of a medicament for the adjuvant treatment of type 1    diabetes for preventing the onset of diabetic complications.-   Embodiment 201. The use according to embodiment 198 for the    preparation of a medicament for increasing the number and/or the    size of beta cells in a mammalian subject, for treatment of beta    cell degeneration, in particular apoptosis of beta cells, or for    treatment of functional dyspepsia, in particular irritable bowel    syndrome.-   Embodiment 202. Use according to any one of the embodiments 198 to    201 in a regimen which comprises treatment with a further    antidiabetic agent.-   Embodiment 203. Use according to any one of the embodiments 198 to    202 in a regimen which comprises treatment with a further    antihyperlipidemic agent.-   Embodiment 204. Use according to any one of embodiments 198 to 203    in a regimen which comprises treatment with a further antiobesity    agent.-   Embodiment 205. Use according to any one of embodiments 198 to 204    in a regimen which comprises treatment with a further    antihypertensive agent.    Included within the scope of the present invention are the    individual enantiomers of the compounds represented by the above    formulae as well as any wholly or partially racemic mixtures    thereof. The present invention also covers the individual    enantiomers of the compounds represented by the above formulae above    as mixtures with diastereoisomers thereof in which one or more    stereocenters are inverted.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the present compounds areused for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment ofhyperglycemia. As used herein hyperglycemia is to be taken as generallyunderstood in the art, with reference for example to the Report of theExpert Committee of the Diagnosis and Classification of DiabetesMellitus, published in Diabetes Care 20, 1183-1197, (1997), but isusually taken to mean an elevated plasma glucose level exceeding about110 mg/dl. The present compounds are effective in lowering the bloodglucose both in the fasting and postprandial stage.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the present compounds areused for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for thetreatment of IGT.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the present compounds areused for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for thetreatment of Syndrome X.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the present compounds areused for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for thetreatment of type 2 diabetes. Such treatment includes i. a. treatmentfor the purpose of the delaying of the progression from IGT to type 2diabetes as well as delaying the progression from non-insulin requiringtype 2 diabetes to insulin requiring type 2 diabetes.

In one embodiment of the present invention the present compounds areused for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for thetreatment of type 1 diabetes. Such therapy is normally accompanied byinsulin administration.

In one embodiment of the present invention the present compounds areused for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for thetreatment of dyslipidemia and hyperlipidemia.

In one embodiment of the present invention the present compounds areused for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for thetreatment of obesity.

In another aspect of the present invention treatment of a patient withthe present compounds are combined with diet and/or exercise.

The present invention provides methods of activating glucokinaseactivity in a mammal, which methods comprise administering, to a mammalin need of activation of glucokinase activity, a therapeutically definedamount of a compound according to the present invention defined above,as a single or polymorphic crystalline form or forms, an amorphous form,a single enantiomer, a racemic mixture, a single stereoisomer, a mixtureof stereoisomers, a single diastereoisomer, a mixture ofdiastereoisomers, a solvate, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, asolvate, a prodrug, a biohydrolyzable ester, or a biohydrolyzable amidethereof.

The present invention provides a method of activating glucokinase,comprising the step of administering to a mammal in need thereof apharmacologically effective amount of a compound according to thepresent invention. The invention further provides a pharmaceuticalcomposition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and apharmacologically effective amount of a compound according to thepresent invention sufficient to activate glucokinase. Aglucokinase—activating amount can be an amount that reduces or inhibitsa Glucokinase activity in the subject.

Additionally provided by the present invention is a pharmaceuticalcomposition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and apharmacologically effective amount of a compound according to thepresent invention sufficient to treat type I diabetes.

Also provided by the present invention is a pharmaceutical compositioncomprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a pharmacologicallyeffective amount of a compound according to the present inventionsufficient to treat type II diabetes.

The compounds of the present invention can be administered to any mammalin need of activation of glucokinase activity. Such mammals can include,for example, horses, cows, sheep, pigs, mice, dogs, cats, primates suchas chimpanzees, gorillas, rhesus monkeys, and, most preferably humans.

Combination Treatment

In a further aspect of the present invention the present compounds areadministered in combination with one or more further active substancesin any suitable ratios. Such further active agents may be selected fromantidiabetic agents, antihyperlipidemic agents, antiobesity agents,antihypertensive agents and agents for the treatment of complicationsresulting from or associated with diabetes.

Suitable antidiabetic agents include insulin, GLP-1 (glucagon likepeptide-1) derivatives such as those disclosed in WO 98/08871 (NovoNordisk A/S), which is incorporated herein by reference, as well asorally active hypoglycemic agents.

Suitable orally active hypoglycemic agents preferably includeimidazolines, sulfonylureas, biguanides, meglitinides,oxadiazolidinediones, thiazolidinediones, insulin sensitizers,α-glucosidase inhibitors, agents acting on the ATP-dependent potassiumchannel of the pancreatic, β-cells eg potassium channel openers such asthose disclosed in WO 97/26265, WO 99/03861 and WO 00/37474 (NovoNordisk A/S) which are incorporated herein by reference, potassiumchannel openers, such as ormitiglinide, potassium channel blockers suchas nateglinide or BTS-67582, glucagon antagonists such as thosedisclosed in WO 99/01423 and WO 00/39088 (Novo Nordisk A/S and AgouronPharmaceuticals, Inc.), all of which are incorporated herein byreference, GLP-1 agonists such as those disclosed in WO 00/42026 (NovoNordisk A/S and Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.), which are incorporatedherein by reference, DPP-IV (dipeptidyl peptidase-IV) inhibitors, PTPase(protein tyrosine phosphatase) inhibitors, inhibitors of hepatic enzymesinvolved in stimulation of gluconeogenesis and/or glycogenolysis,glucose uptake modulators, GSK-3 (glycogen synthase kinase-3)inhibitors, compounds modifying the lipid metabolism such asantihyperlipidemic agents and antilipidemic agents, compounds loweringfood intake, and PPAR (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor) andRXR (retinoid X receptor) agonists such as ALRT-268, LG-1268 or LG-1069.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the present compounds areadministered in combination with a sulphonylurea eg tolbutamide,chlorpropamide, tolazamide, glibenclamide, glipizide, glimepiride,glicazide or glyburide.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the present compounds areadministered in combination with a biguanide eg metformin.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the present compounds areadministered in combination with a meglitinide eg repaglinide orsenaglinide/nateglinide.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the present compounds areadministered in combination with a thiazolidinedione insulin sensitizereg troglitazone, ciglitazone, pioglitazone, rosiglitazone, isaglitazone,darglitazone, englitazone, CS-011/CI-1037 or T 174 or the compoundsdisclosed in WO 97/41097 (DRF-2344), WO 97/41119, WO 97/41120, WO00/41121 and WO 98/45292 (Dr. Reddy's Research Foundation), which areincorporated herein by reference.

In one embodiment of the present invention the present compounds may beadministered in combination with an insulin sensitizer eg such as GI262570, YM-440, MCC-555, JTT-501, AR-H039242, KRP-297, GW-409544,CRE-16336, AR-H049020, LY510929, MBX-102, CLX-0940, GW-501516 or thecompounds disclosed in WO 99/19313 (NN622/DRF-2725), WO 00/50414, WO00/63191, WO 00/63192, WO 00/63193 (Dr. Reddy's Research Foundation) andWO 00/23425, WO 00/23415, WO 00/23451, WO 00/23445, WO 00/23417, WO00/23416, WO 00/63153, WO 00/63196, WO 00/63209, WO 00/63190 and WO00/63189 (Novo Nordisk A/S), which are incorporated herein by reference.

In one embodiment of the present invention the present compounds areadministered in combination with an α-glucosidase inhibitor egvoglibose, emiglitate, miglitol or acarbose.

In one embodiment of the present invention the present compounds areadministered in combination with a glycogen phosphorylase inhibitor egthe compounds described in WO 97/09040 (Novo Nordisk A/S).

In one embodiment of the present invention the present compounds areadministered in combination with an agent acting on the ATP-dependentpotassium channel of the pancreatic β-cells eg tolbutamide,glibenclamide, glipizide, glicazide, BTS-67582 or repaglinide.

In one embodiment of the present invention the present compounds areadministered in combination with nateglinide.

In one embodiment of the present invention the present compounds areadministered in combination with an antihyperlipidemic agent or aantilipidemic agent eg cholestyramine, colestipol, clofibrate,gemfibrozil, lovastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin, probucol ordextrothyroxine.

Furthermore, the compounds according to the invention may beadministered in combination with one or more antiobesity agents orappetite regulating agents.

Such agents may be selected from the group consisting of CART (cocaineamphetamine regulated transcript) agonists, NPY (neuropeptide Y)antagonists, MC3 (melanocortin 3) agonists, MC4 (melanocortin 4)agonists, orexin antagonists, TNF (tumor necrosis factor) agonists, CRF(corticotropin releasing factor) agonists, CRF BP (corticotropinreleasing factor binding protein) antagonists, urocortin agonists, β3adrenergic agonists such as CL-316243, AJ-9677, GW-0604, LY362884,LY377267 or AZ-40140, MSH (melanocyte-stimulating hormone) agonists, MCH(melanocyte-concentrating hormone) antagonists, CCK (cholecystokinin)agonists, serotonin reuptake inhibitors (fluoxetine, seroxat orcitalopram), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, 5HT(serotonin) agonists, bombesin agonists, galanin antagonists, growthhormone, growth factors such as prolactin or placental lactogen, growthhormone releasing compounds, TRH (thyreotropin releasing hormone)agonists, UCP 2 or 3 (uncoupling protein 2 or 3) modulators, leptinagonists, DA (dopamine) agonists (bromocriptin, doprexin),lipase/amylase inhibitors, PPAR modulators, RXR modulators, TR βagonists, adrenergic CNS stimulating agents, AGRP (agouti relatedprotein) inhibitors, H3 histamine antagonists such as those disclosed inWO 00/42023, WO 00/63208 and WO 00/64884, which are incorporated hereinby reference, exendin-4, GLP-1 agonists, ciliary neurotrophic factor,and oxyntomodulin. Further antiobesity agents are bupropion(antidepressant), topiramate (anticonvulsant), ecopipam (dopamine D1/D5antagonist) and naltrexone (opioid antagonist).

In one embodiment of the present invention the antiobesity agent isleptin.

In one embodiment of the present invention the antiobesity agent is aserotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor eg sibutramine.

In one embodiment of the present invention the antiobesity agent is alipase inhibitor eg orlistat.

In one embodiment of the present invention the antiobesity agent is anadrenergic CNS stimulating agent eg dexamphetamine, amphetamine,phentermine, mazindol phendimetrazine, diethylpropion, fenfluramine ordexfenfluramine.

Furthermore, the present compounds may be administered in combinationwith one or more antihypertensive agents. Examples of antihypertensiveagents are β-blockers such as alprenolol, atenolol, timolol, pindolol,propranolol and metoprolol, ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme)inhibitors such as benazepril, captopril, enalapril, fosinopril,lisinopril, quinapril and ramipril, calcium channel blockers such asnifedipine, felodipine, nicardipine, isradipine, nimodipine, diltiazemand verapamil, and α-blockers such as doxazosin, urapidil, prazosin andterazosin. Further reference can be made to Remington: The Science andPractice of Pharmacy, 19th Edition, Gennaro, Ed., Mack Publishing Co.,Easton, Pa., 1995.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the present compounds areadministered in combination with insulin, insulin derivatives or insulinanalogues.

In one embodiment of the invention the insulin is an insulin derivativeis selected from the group consisting of B29-N^(ε)-myristoyl-des(B30)human insulin, B29-N^(ε)-palmitoyl-des(B30) human insulin,B29-N^(ε)-myristoyl human insulin, B29-N^(ε)-palmitoyl human insulin,B28-N^(ε)-myristoyl Lys^(B28)Pro^(B29) human insulin,B28-N^(ε)-palmitoyl Lys^(B28)Pro^(B29) human insulin,B30-N^(ε)-myristoyl-Thr^(B29)Lys^(B30) human insulin,B30-N^(ε)-palmitoyl-Thr^(B29)Lys^(B30) human insulin,B29-N^(ε)-(N-palmitoyl-γ-glutamyl)-des(B30) human insulin,B29-N^(ε)-(N-lithocholyl-γ-glutamyl)-des(B30) human insulin,B29-N^(ε)-(ω-carboxyheptadecanoyl)-des(B30) human insulin andB29-N^(ε)-(ω-carboxyheptadecanoyl) human insulin.

In another embodiment of the invention the insulin derivative isB29-N^(ε)-myristoyl-des(B30) human insulin.

In a further embodiment of the invention the insulin is anacid-stabilised insulin. The acid-stabilised insulin may be selectedfrom analogues of human insulin having one of the following amino acidresidue substitutions:

-   A21G-   A21G, B28K, B29P-   A21G, B28D-   A21G, B28E-   A21G, B3K, B29E-   A21G, desB27-   A21G, B9E-   A21G, B9D-   A21G, B10E insulin.    In a further embodiment of the invention the insulin is an insulin    analogue. The insulin analogue may be selected from the group    consisting of    -   i. An analogue wherein position B28 is Asp, Lys, Leu, Val, or        Ala and position B29 is Lys or Pro; and    -   ii. des(B28-B30), des(B27) or des(B30) human insulin.-   In another embodiment the analogue is an analogue of human insulin    wherein position B28 is Asp or Lys, and position B29 is Lys or Pro.-   In another embodiment the analogue is des(B30) human insulin.-   In another embodiment the insulin analogue is an analogue of human    insulin wherein position B28 is Asp.-   In another embodiment the analogue is an analogue wherein position    B3 is Lys and position B29 is Glu or Asp.

In another embodiment the GLP-1 derivative to be employed in combinationwith a compound of the present invention refers to GLP-1(1-37),exendin4(1-39), insulinotropic fragments thereof, insulinotropicanalogues thereof and insulinotropic derivatives thereof. Insulinotropicfragments of GLP-1(1-37) are insulinotropic peptides for which theentire sequence can be found in the sequence of GLP-1(1-37) and where atleast one terminal amino acid has been deleted. Examples ofinsulinotropic fragments of GLP-1(1-37) are GLP-1(7-37) wherein theamino acid residues in positions 1-6 of GLP-1(1-37) have been deleted,and GLP-1(7-36) where the amino acid residues in position 1-6 and 37 ofGLP-1(1-37) have been deleted. Examples of insulinotropic fragments ofexendin4(1-39) are exendin4(1-38) and exendin4(1-31). The insulinotropicproperty of a compound may be determined by in vivo or in vitro assayswell known in the art. For instance, the compound may be administered toan animal and monitoring the insulin concentration over time.Insulinotropic analogues of GLP-1(1-37) and exendin4(1-39) refer to therespective molecules wherein one or more of the amino acids residueshave been exchanged with other amino acid residues and/or from which oneor more amino acid residues have been deleted and/or from which one ormore amino acid residues have been added with the proviso that saidanalogue either is insulinotropic or is a prodrug of an insulinotropiccompound. Examples of insulinotropic analogues of GLP-1(1-37) are e.g.Met⁸-GLP-1(7-37) wherein the alanine in position 8 has been replaced bymethionine and the amino acid residues in position 1 to 6 have beendeleted, and Arg³⁴-GLP-1(7-37) wherein the valine in position 34 hasbeen replaced with arginine and the amino acid residues in position 1 to6 have been deleted. An example of an insulinotropic analogue ofexendin-4(1-39) is Ser²Asp³-exendin-4(1-39) wherein the amino acidresidues in position 2 and 3 have been replaced with serine and asparticacid, respectively (this particular analogue also being known in the artas exendin-3). Insulinotropic derivatives of GLP-1(1-37),exendin-4(1-39) and analogues thereof are what the person skilled in theart considers to be derivatives of these peptides, i.e. having at leastone substituent which is not present in the parent peptide molecule withthe proviso that said derivative either is insulinotropic or is aprodrug of an insulinotropic compound. Examples of substituents areamides, carbohydrates, alkyl groups and lipophilic substituents.Examples of insulinotropic derivatives of GLP-1(1-37), exendin-4(1-39)and analogues thereof are GLP-1(7-36)-amide, Arg³⁴,Lys²⁶(N^(ε)-(γ-Glu(N^(α)-hexadecanoyl)))-GLP-1(7-37) andTyr³¹-exendin-4(1-31)-amide. Further examples of GLP-1(1-37),exendin-4(1-39), insulinotropic fragments thereof, insulinotropicanalogues thereof and insulinotropic derivatives thereof are describedin WO 98/08871, WO 99/43706, U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,286 and WO 00/09666.

-   In another aspect of the present invention, the present compounds    are administered in combination with more than one of the    above-mentioned compounds e.g. in combination with metformin and a    sulphonylurea such as glyburide; a sulphonylurea and acarbose;    nateglinide and metformin; acarbose and metformin; a sulfonylurea,    metformin and troglitazone; insulin and a sulfonylurea; insulin and    metformin; insulin, metformin and a sulfonylurea; insulin and    troglitazone; insulin and lovastatin; etc.-   It should be understood that any suitable combination of the    compounds according to the invention with diet and/or exercise, one    or more of the above-mentioned compounds and optionally one or more    other active substances are considered to be within the scope of the    present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, the    pharmaceutical composition according to the present invention    comprises e.g. a compound of the invention in combination with    metformin and a sulphonylurea such as glyburide; a compound of the    invention in combination with a sulphonylurea and acarbose;    nateglinide and metformin; acarbose and metformin; a sulfonylurea,    metformin and troglitazone; insulin and a sulfonylurea; insulin and    metformin; insulin, metformin and a sulfonylurea; insulin and    troglitazone; insulin and lovastatin; etc.    Pharmaceutical Compositions

The compounds of the present invention may be administered alone or incombination with pharmaceutically acceptable carriers or excipients, ineither single or multiple doses. The pharmaceutical compositionsaccording to the invention may be formulated with pharmaceuticallyacceptable carriers or diluents as well as any other known adjuvants andexcipients in accordance with conventional techniques such as thosedisclosed in Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy, 19^(th)Edition, Gennaro, Ed., Mack Publishing Co., Easton, Pa., 1995.

The pharmaceutical compositions may be specifically formulated foradministration by any suitable route such as the oral, rectal, nasal,pulmonary, topical (including buccal and sublingual), transdermal,intracisternal, intraperitoneal, vaginal and parenteral (includingsubcutaneous, intramuscular, intrathecal, intravenous and intradermal)route, the oral route being preferred. It will be appreciated that thepreferred route will depend on the general condition and age of thesubject to be treated, the nature of the condition to be treated and theactive ingredient chosen.

Pharmaceutical compositions for oral administration include solid dosageforms such as hard or soft capsules, tablets, troches, dragees, pills,lozenges, powders and granules. Where appropriate, they can be preparedwith coatings such as enteric coatings or they can be formulated so asto provide controlled release of the active ingredient such as sustainedor prolonged release according to methods well known in the art.

Liquid dosage forms for oral administration include solutions,emulsions, aqueous or oily suspensions, syrups and elixirs.

Pharmaceutical compositions for parenteral administration includesterile aqueous and non-aqueous injectable solutions, dispersions,suspensions or emulsions as well as sterile powders to be reconstitutedin sterile injectable solutions or dispersions prior to use. Depotinjectable formulations are also contemplated as being within the scopeof the present invention.

Other suitable administration forms include suppositories, sprays,ointments, cremes, gels, inhalants, dermal patches, implants etc.

A typical oral dosage is in the range of from about 0.001 to about 100mg/kg body weight per day, preferably from about 0.01 to about 50 mg/kgbody weight per day, and more preferred from about 0.05 to about 10mg/kg body weight per day administered in one or more dosages such as 1to 3 dosages. The exact dosage will depend upon the frequency and modeof administration, the sex, age, weight and general condition of thesubject treated, the nature and severity of the condition treated andany concomitant diseases to be treated and other factors evident tothose skilled in the art.

The formulations may conveniently be presented in unit dosage form bymethods known to those skilled in the art. A typical unit dosage formfor oral administration one or more times per day such as 1 to 3 timesper day may contain from 0.05 to about 1000 mg, preferably from about0.1 to about 500 mg, and more preferred from about 0.5 mg to about 200mg.

For parenteral routes such as intravenous, intrathecal, intramuscularand similar administration, typically doses are in the order of abouthalf the dose employed for oral administration.

The compounds of this invention are generally utilized as the freesubstance or as a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. Examples arean acid addition salt of a compound having the utility of a free baseand a base addition salt of a compound having the utility of a freeacid. The term “pharmaceutically acceptable salts” refers to non-toxicsalts of the compounds of this invention which are generally prepared byreacting the free base with a suitable organic or inorganic acid or byreacting the acid with a suitable organic or inorganic base. When acompound according to the present invention contains a free base suchsalts are prepared in a conventional manner by treating a solution orsuspension of the compound with a chemical equivalent of apharmaceutically acceptable acid. When a compound according to thepresent invention contains a free acid such salts are prepared in aconventional manner by treating a solution or suspension of the compoundwith a chemical equivalent of a pharmaceutically acceptable base.Physiologically acceptable salts of a compound with a hydroxy groupinclude the anion of said compound in combination with a suitable cationsuch as sodium or ammonium ion. Other salts which are notpharmaceutically acceptable may be useful in the preparation ofcompounds of the present invention and these form a further aspect ofthe present invention.

For parenteral administration, solutions of the novel compounds of theabove formulae in sterile aqueous solution, aqueous propylene glycol orsesame or peanut oil may be employed. Such aqueous solutions should besuitably buffered if necessary and the liquid diluent first renderedisotonic with sufficient saline or glucose. The aqueous solutions areparticularly suitable for intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous andintraperitoneal administration. The sterile aqueous media employed areall readily available by standard techniques known to those skilled inthe art.

Suitable pharmaceutical carriers include inert solid diluents orfillers, sterile aqueous solution and various organic solvents. Examplesof solid carriers are lactose, terra alba, sucrose, cyclodextrin, talc,gelatine, agar, pectin, acacia, magnesium stearate, stearic acid andlower alkyl ethers of cellulose. Examples of liquid carriers are syrup,peanut oil, olive oil, phospholipids, fatty acids, fatty acid amines,polyoxyethylene and water. Similarly, the carrier or diluent may includeany sustained release material known in the art, such as glycerylmonostearate or glyceryl distearate, alone or mixed with a wax. Thepharmaceutical compositions formed by combining the novel compounds ofthe present invention and the pharmaceutically acceptable carriers arethen readily administered in a variety of dosage forms suitable for thedisclosed routes of administration. The formulations may conveniently bepresented in unit dosage form by methods known in the art of pharmacy.

Formulations of the present invention suitable for oral administrationmay be presented as discrete units such as capsules or tablets, eachcontaining a predetermined amount of the active ingredient, and whichmay include a suitable excipient. Furthermore, the orally availableformulations may be in the form of a powder or granules, a solution orsuspension in an aqueous or non-aqueous liquid, or an oil-in-water orwater-in-oil liquid emulsion.

Compositions intended for oral use may be prepared according to anyknown method, and such compositions may contain one or more agentsselected from the group consisting of sweetening agents, flavoringagents, coloring agents, and preserving agents in order to providepharmaceutically elegant and palatable preparations. Tablets may containthe active ingredient in admixture with non-toxicpharmaceutically-acceptable excipients which are suitable for themanufacture of tablets. These excipients may be for example, inertdiluents, such as calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate, lactose, calciumphosphate or sodium phosphate; granulating and disintegrating agents,for example corn starch or alginic acid; binding agents, for example,starch, gelatin or acacia; and lubricating agents, for example magnesiumstearate, stearic acid or talc. The tablets may be uncoated or they maybe coated by known techniques to delay disintegration and absorption inthe gastrointestinal tract and thereby provide a sustained action over alonger period. For example, a time delay material such as glycerylmonostearate or glyceryl distearate may be employed. They may also becoated by the techniques described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,356,108;4,166,452; and 4,265,874, incorporated herein by reference, to formosmotic therapeutic tablets for controlled release.

Formulations for oral use may also be presented as hard gelatin capsuleswhere the active ingredient is mixed with an inert solid diluent, forexample, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate or kaolin, or a softgelatin capsules wherein the active ingredient is mixed with water or anoil medium, for example peanut oil, liquid paraffin, or olive oil.

Aqueous suspensions may contain the active compounds in admixture withexcipients suitable for the manufacture of aqueous suspensions. Suchexcipients are suspending agents, for example sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose,sodium alginate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, gum tragacanth and gum acacia;dispersing or wetting agents may be a naturally-occurring phosphatidesuch as lecithin, or condensation products of an alkylene oxide withfatty acids, for example polyoxyethylene stearate, or condensationproducts of ethylene oxide with long chain aliphatic alcohols, forexample, heptadecaethyleneoxycetanol, or condensation products ofethylene oxide with partial esters derived from fatty acids and ahexitol such as polyoxyethylene sorbitol monooleate, or condensationproducts of ethylene oxide with partial esters derived from fatty acidsand hexitol anhydrides, for example polyethylene sorbitan monooleate.The aqueous suspensions may also contain one or more coloring agents,one or more flavoring agents, and one or more sweetening agents, such assucrose or saccharin.

Oily suspensions may be formulated by suspending the active ingredientin a vegetable oil, for example arachis oil, olive oil, sesame oil orcoconut oil, or in a mineral oil such as a liquid paraffin. The oilysuspensions may contain a thickening agent, for example beeswax, hardparaffin or cetyl alchol. Sweetening agents such as those set forthabove, and flavoring agents may be added to provide a palatable oralpreparation. These compositions may be preserved by the addition of ananti-oxidant such as ascorbic acid.

Dispersible powders and granules suitable for preparation of an aqueoussuspension by the addition of water provide the active compound inadmixture with a dispersing or wetting agent, suspending agent and oneor more preservatives. Suitable dispersing or wetting agents andsuspending agents are exemplified by those already mentioned above.Additional excipients, for example, sweetening, flavoring, and coloringagents may also be present.

The pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention may also be inthe form of oil-in-water emulsions. The oily phase may be a vegetableoil, for example, olive oil or arachis oil, or a mineral oil, forexample a liquid paraffin, or a mixture thereof. Suitable emulsifyingagents may be naturally-occurring gums, for example gum acacia or gumtragacanth, naturally-occurring phosphatides, for example soy bean,lecithin, and esters or partial esters derived from fatty acids andhexitol anhydrides, for example sorbitan monooleate, and condensationproducts of said partial esters with ethylene oxide, for examplepolyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate. The emulsions may also containsweetening and flavoring agents.

Syrups and elixirs may be formulated with sweetening agents, for exampleglycerol, propylene glycol, sorbitol or sucrose. Such formulations mayalso contain a demulcent, a preservative and flavoring and coloringagents. The pharmaceutical compositions may be in the form of a sterileinjectible aqueous or oleaginous suspension. This suspension may beformulated according to the known methods using suitable dispersing orwetting agents and suspending agents described above. The sterileinjectable preparation may also be a sterile injectable solution orsuspension in a non-toxic parenterally-acceptable diluent or solvent,for example as a solution in 1,3-butanediol. Among the acceptablevehicles and solvents that may be employed are water, Ringer's solution,and isotonic sodium chloride solution. In addition, sterile, fixed oilsare conveniently employed as solvent or suspending medium. For thispurpose, any bland fixed oil may be employed using synthetic mono- ordiglycerides. In addition, fatty acids such as oleic acid find use inthe preparation of injectables.

The compositions may also be in the form of suppositories for rectaladministration of the compounds of the present invention. Thesecompositions can be prepared by mixing the drug with a suitablenon-irritating excipient which is solid at ordinary temperatures butliquid at the rectal temperature and will thus melt in the rectum torelease the drug. Such materials include cocoa butter and polyethyleneglycols, for example.

For topical use, creams, ointments, jellies, solutions of suspensions,etc., containing the compounds of the present invention arecontemplated. For the purpose of this application, topical applicationsshall include mouth washes and gargles.

The compounds of the present invention may also be administered in theform of liposome delivery systems, such as small unilamellar vesicles,large unilamellar vesicles, and multilamellar vesicles. Liposomes may beformed from a variety of phospholipids, such as cholesterol,stearylamine, or phosphatidylcholines.

In addition, some of the compounds of the present invention may formsolvates with water or common organic solvents. Such solvates are alsoencompassed within the scope of the present invention.

Thus, in a further embodiment, there is provided a pharmaceuticalcomposition comprising a compound according to the present invention, ora pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate, or prodrug therof, and oneor more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, excipients, or diluents.

If a solid carrier is used for oral administration, the preparation maybe tabletted, placed in a hard gelatine capsule in powder or pellet formor it can be in the form of a troche or lozenge. The amount of solidcarrier will vary widely but will usually be from about 25 mg to about 1g. If a liquid carrier is used, the preparation may be in the form of asyrup, emulsion, soft gelatine capsule or sterile injectable liquid suchas an aqueous or non-aqueous liquid suspension or solution.

A typical tablet that may be prepared by conventional tablettingtechniques may contain:

Core: Active compound (as free compound or salt thereof) 5.0 mg LactosumPh. Eur. 67.8 mg Cellulose, microcryst. (Avicel) 31.4 mgAmberlite ® IRP88* 1.0 mg Magnesii stearas Ph. Eur. q.s. Coating:Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose approx. 9 mg Mywacett 9-40 T** approx. 0.9mg *Polacrillin potassium NF, tablet disintegrant, Rohm and Haas.**Acylated monoglyceride used as plasticizer for film coating.

If desired, the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention maycomprise a compound according to the present invention in combinationwith further active substances such as those described in the foregoing.

The present invention also provides a method for the synthesis ofcompounds useful as intermediates in the preparation of compounds of theabove formulae along with methods for the preparation of such compounds.The compounds can be prepared readily according to the followingreaction Schemes (in which all variables are as defined before, unlessso specified) using readily available starting materials, reagents andconventional synthesis procedures. In these reactions, it is alsopossible to make use of variants which are themselves known to those ofordinary skill in this art, but are not mentioned in greater detail.

EXAMPLES

HPLC-MS (Method A)

The following instrumentation is used:

-   Hewlett Packard series 1100 G1312A Bin Pump-   Hewlett Packard series 1100 Column compartment-   Hewlett Packard series 1100 G1315A DAD diode array detector-   Hewlett Packard series 1100 MSD-   Sedere 75 Evaporative Light Scattering detector

The instrument is controlled by HP Chemstation software.

The HPLC pump is connected to two eluent reservoirs containing:

-   A: 0.01% TFA in water-   B: 0.01% TFA in acetonitrile

The analysis is performed at 40° C. by injecting an appropriate volumeof the sample (preferably 1 μl) onto the column which is eluted with agradient of acetonitrile.

The HPLC conditions, detector settings and mass spectrometer settingsused are given in the following table.

Column Waters Xterra MS C-18 × 3 mm id 5 μm Gradient 5%-100%acetonitrile linear during 7.5 min at 1.5 mL/min Detection 210 nm(analogue output from DAD) MS ELS (analogue output from ELS) ionisationmode API-ES Scan 100-1000 amu step 0.1 amu

After the DAD the flow is divided yielding approximately 1 mL/min to theELS and 0.5 mL/min to the MS.

HPLC-MS (Method B)

The following instrumentation is used:

-   Hewlett Packard series 1100 MSD G1946A Single quadropole mass    spectrometer-   Hewlett Packard series 1100 MSD G1312A Bin pump-   Hewlett Packard series 1100 MSD G1313A ALS autosampler-   Hewlett Packard series 1100 MSD G1315A diode array detector (DAD)

The HP LC/MSD ChemStation control software running on a HP Vectracomputer is used for the instrument control and data acquisition.

The HPLC pump is connected to two eluent reservoirs containing:

-   A: 0.01 % TFA in water-   B: 0.01 % TFA in acetonitrile

The analysis is performed at room temperature by injecting 1 μL of thesample solution on the column which is eluted with a gradient ofacetonitrile in 0.01 % TFA.

The HPLC conditions, detector settings and mass spectrometer settingsused are given in the following table.

Column Waters Xterra 100A MS C-18 3.5 μm, 3.0 mm × 50 mm Gradient10%-100% acetonitrile in 0.05% TFA linearly during 4.5 min at 1.5 mL/minDetection UV: 210 nm (diode array) MS Ionisation mode: API-ESExperiment: Start: 100 amu Stop: 1000 amu Step: 0.1 amuHPLC-MS (Method C)

The following instrumentation is used:

-   -   Sciex API 100 Single quadropole mass spectrometer    -   Perkin Elmer Series 200 Quard pump    -   Perkin Elmer Series 200 autosampler    -   Applied Biosystems 785A UV detector    -   Sedex 55 evaporative light scattering detector    -   A Valco column switch with a Valco actuator controlled by timed        events from the pump.

The Sciex Sample control software running on a Macintosh PowerPC 7200computer is used for the instrument control and data acquisition.

The HPLC pump is connected to four eluent reservoirs containing:

-   A: Acetonitrile-   B: Water-   C: 0.5% TFA in water-   D: 0.02 M ammonium acetate

The requirements for the samples are that they contain approximately 500μg/mL of the compound to be analysed in an acceptable solvent such asmethanol, ethanol, acetonitrile, THF, water and mixtures thereof. (Highconcentrations of strongly eluting solvents will interfere with thechromatography at low acetonitrile concentrations.)

The analysis is performed at room temperature by injecting 20 μl of thesample solution on the column, which is eluted with a gradient ofacetonitrile in either 0.05% TFA or 0.002 M ammonium acetate. Dependingon the analysis method varying elution conditions are used.

The eluate from the column is passed through a flow splittingT-connector, which passed approximately 20 μl/min through approx. 1 m75μ fused silica capillary to the API interface of API 100 spectrometer.

The remaining 1.48 mL/min is passed through the UV detector and to theELS detector.

During the LC-analysis the detection data are acquired concurrently fromthe mass spectrometer, the UV detector and the ELS detector.

The LC conditions, detector settings and mass spectrometer settings usedfor the different methods are given in the following table.

Column YMC ODS-A 120 Å s-5μ 3 mm × 50 mm id Gradient 5%-90% acetonitrilein 0.05% TFA linearly during 7.5 min at 1.5 mL/min Detection UV: 214 nmELS: 40° C. MS Experiment: Start: 100 amu Stop: 800 amu Step: 0.2 amuDwell: 0.571 msec Method: Scan 284 times = 9.5 minHPLC-Preparative (Method D)

-   The following instrumentation is used:-   Gilson pump 306 (A and B)-   Gilson detector UV/Vis-155-   Gilson autosampler 215 Liquide Handler

The HPLC pump is connected to two eluent reservoirs containing:

-   A: 0.1% TFA in water-   B: 100% Acetonitrile

The purification is performed at room temperature by injecting thesample solution on the column which is eluted with a gradient of solventA and B.

The HPLC conditions, detector settings and mass spectrometer settingsused are given in the following table.

Column Phenomenex Luna 10 μ C18 (2) 100 Å, size 250 × 10 mm Gradient T =0-3 mm 0% B, t = 3-13 min linear from 0% to 100% B at 10 mL/minDetection UV: 214 and 254 nmHPLC-Preparative (Method E)

The following instrumentation is used:

-   Gilson pump 306-   Gilson detector UV/Vis-155-   Gilson sampler; reodyne manuel injection-   Gilson fraction collector-202-   Gilson mixer-811C

The HPLC pump is connected to two eluent reservoirs containing:

-   A: water-   B: Acetonitrile

The purification is performed at room temperature by injecting thesample solution on the column which is eluted with a gradient of solventA and B.

The HPLC conditions, detector settings and mass spectrometer settingsused are given in the following table.

Column Phenomenex, Synergi-MAX, 3 μ, RP, size 250 × 30 mm Gradient5-100% B, 40 min Detection UV: 210

List Of Abbreviations

-   -   t-BuOK—Potassium tert-butoxide    -   DBU—1,8-Diazabicyclo[5.4.0]-undec-7-en    -   EDAC—1-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethyl-carbodiimide        hydrochloride    -   DIC—1,3-Diisopropyl carbodiimide    -   DIPEA—Diisopropylethylamin    -   DCC—1,3-Dicyclohexyl carbodiimide    -   BOP—Benzotriazole-1-yl-oxy-tris-(dimethylamino)-phosphoniumhexafluorophosphate    -   PyBroP—Bromotrispyrrolidinophosphonium hexafluorophosphate    -   HOBt—N-Hydroxybenzotriazole    -   HOAt—7-Aza-1-Hydroxybenzotriazole    -   DCM—Dichloromethane    -   NMP—N-Methylpyrrolidone    -   DMF—N,N-Dimethylformamide    -   TFA—Trifluoroacetic acid    -   TFFH—Fluoro-N,N,N′N′-tetramethylformamidinium        hexafluorophosphate        General Procedure (A)

General procedure (A) for the synthesis of compounds of the generalformula (Ia):

wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and A, are as defined for formula (I). Theindole starting material can be either commercially available compoundsor compounds that can be prepared following procedures described in theliterature. In the general formula R5X, X represents chloride, bromide,iodide, mesylate or tosylate. The base used in step B can be NaH, K₂CO₃,NaOH, t-BuOK, DBU or an equivalent of these. The coupling agent in stepD can be EDC, DIC, DCC, BOP, PyBroP or any equivalent of such which maybe combined with HOBt or HOAt.

If a carboxylic acid is desired as a part of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 or asubstituent on A, a methylethyl-, isopropyl- or t-butyl ester can betaken through step A to step D and subsequently be hydrolysed usingstandard procedures for hydrolysis of esters. The procedure isillustrated in the following example.

Step A:

The indole derivative (20 mmol) was dissolved in DCM (15 mL) andpyridine (21 mmol) was added. The solution was cooled to 0° C. on an icebath before a solution of trichloroacetyl chloride (20 mmol) in DCM (5mL) was added over the course of 30 min. The cooling bath was removedand the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature (typical overnight). If HPLC showed unreacted indole starting material, an amount oftrichloro acetyl chloride coresponding to the amount of unreacted indole(estimated by HPLC) was added, and the mixture was stirred for anadditional 2 hours before the solvent was removed in vacuo. The crudeproduct was stirred with ethanol-water (1:1, 15 mL) for 10 min beforethe product was filtered off and dried in vacuo at 50° C., and usedwithout any further purification.

Step B:

To the 3-trichloroacetyl-indole derivative (0.096 mmol) from step A inNMP (0.20 mL) in a 5 mL glas vial, was added K₂CO₃ (20 mg, 0.144 mmol)and alkylating agent R5X (0.125 mmol) before the reaction mixture wasshaken over night at room temperature.

Step C:

To the solution from step B was added aqueous NaOH (0.10 mL, 4 N) andthe reaction mixture was shaken for 1 hour whereupon aqueous HCl (0.60mL, 1 N) was introduced. The aqueous phase was extracted with diethylether (2×1.5 mL), the two organic fractions were combined and thevolatiles were removed in vacuo.

Step D:

The intermediate from step C was dissolved in NMP (0.20 mL) and HOBt (15mg, 0.111 mmol), EDAC (37 mg, 0.192 mmol) and NH₂A (0.192 mmol) wasadded in sequence. The reaction mixture was heated to 120° C. for 2hours before the reaction was allowed to cool to room temperature.

The resulting mixture was applied directly on a preparative HPLCinstrument (HPLC-prep. (Method D)) and fractions were collected. Thefractions containing the desired compound were combined and thevolatiles were removed in vacuo.

General Procedure (B)

General procedure (B) for the synthesis of compounds of the generalformula (Ia):

wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and A, are as defined for formula (I), and Pgis a protecting group like methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, tert-butylor benzyl. The indole starting material can be either commerciallyavailable compounds or compounds that can be prepared followingprocedures described in the literature. In the general formula R5X, Xrepresents chloride, bromide, iodide, mesylate or tosylate. The baseused in step A can be NaH, K₂CO₃, NaOH, t-BuOK, DBU or an equivalent ofthese. The coupling agent usend in step C can be EDC, DIC, DCC, BOP,PyBroP or any equivalent of such which may or may not be combined withHOBt or HOAt.

The procedure is illustrated in the following example.

Step A:

The indole derivative (0.096 mmol) dissolved in NMP (0.10 mL) was addeda solution of alkylating agent (R5X) (0.115 mmol) in NMP (0.20 mL) andsubsequently solid K₂CO₃ (13.3 mg, 0.096 mmol). The reaction mixture wasshaken at 40° C. for 24 hours.

Step B:

To the solution from step A was added aqueous NaOH (0.10 mL, 4 N) andthe reaction mixture was shaken for two days whereupon aqueous HCl (0.60mL, 1 N) was introduced. The aqueous phase was extracted with diethylether (2×1.5 mL), the two organic fractions were combined and thevolatiles were removed in vacuo.

Step C:

The intermediate from step B was dissolved in NMP (0.20 mL) and HOBt (15mg, 0.111 mmol), EDAC (37 mg, 0.192 mmol) and NH₂A (19 mg, 0.192 mmol)was added in sequence. The reaction mixture was heated to 120° C. for 4hours before the reaction was allowed to cool to room temperature.

The resulting mixture was applied directly on a preparative HPLCinstrument (HPLC-prep. (Method D)) and fractions were collected. Thefractions containing the desired compound were combined and thevolatiles were removed in vacuo.

General Procedure (C)

General procedure (C) for the synthesis of compounds of the generalformula (I):

wherein B and A, are as defined for formula (I). Theheteroarylcarboxylic acid starting material (BCOOH) and theaminoheterocycle (NH₂A) can be either a commercially available compoundor compound that can be prepared following procedures described in theliterature. The coupling agent used can be EDC, DIC, DCC, BOP, PyBroP,TFFH or any equivalent of such which may or may not be combined withHOBt or HOAt and the temperature may vary from 20° to 150° C.

The heteroarylcarboxylic acid (BCOOH) (0.096 mmol) was dissolved in NMP(0.20 mL) and HOBt (15 mg, 0.111 mmol), EDAC (37 mg, 0.192 mmol) andNH₂A (19 mg, 0.192 mmol) was added in sequence. The reaction mixture washeated to 120° C. for 4 hours before the reaction was allowed to cool toroom temperature.

The resulting mixture was applied directly on a preparative HPLCinstrument (HPLC-prep. (Method D)) and fractions were collected. Thefractions containing the desired compound were combined and thevolatiles were removed in vacuo.

General Procedure D, E and F

General procedure (D, E and F) for the synthesis of compounds of thegeneral formula (Ib):

wherein (Ib) can be substituted with R1, R2 or R3 as defined for formula(I), and Pg is a protecting group like methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl,tert-butyl or benzyl. The pyrrole or pyrrazole starting material can beeither commercially available compounds or compounds that can beprepared following procedures described in the literature. In generalformula R5X, X represents chloride, bromide, iodide, mesylate ortosylate. The base used in step A can be NaH, K₂CO₃, NaOH, t-BuOK, DBUor an equivalent of these. The coupling agent usend in step C can beEDC, DIC, DCC, BOP, PyBroP, TFFH or any equivalent of such which may ormay not be combined with HOBt or HOAt.General Procedure D:

Ethyl ester of a heteroaryl carboxylic acid (10.0 mmol) in DMF (20 mL)was added to a suspension of sodium hydride (600 mg, 15.0 mmol, 60% inoil) in DMF (20 mL) at 0° C. with stirring. After 30 min, an alkylhalide, such as an alkyl iodide or a benzylic bromide, was added. Theice bath was removed and the solution was stirred at room temperatureovernight. The reaction mixture was carefully quenched with a smallamount of water before adding ethyl acetate (100 ml) and water (50 mL).The layers were separated and the aqueous phase was extracted with ethylacetate (2×100 mL). The combined organic extracts were washed with water(50 mL) and brine (50 mL). After drying over sodium sulfate, thesolution was filtered and concentrated in vacuo to afford desiredN-alkylated heteroaryl carboxylic acid ester.

General Procedure E:

The ester derivative (2 mmol) in a 1:1:1 mixture of THF/MeOH/2.5 Maqueous LiOH solution (10 mL) was stirred for 3 h. The reaction mixturewas concentrated to half volume in vacuo. The residual aqueous solutionwas acidified with 1 N HCl to pH 5-6. The suspension was extracted withethyl acetate (3×20 mL). The organic layer was washed (water and brine),dried (sodium sulfate), filtered and concentrated to afford desiredN-alkylated heteroaryl carboxylic acid.

General Procedure F:

TFFH (0.25 mmol, 67 mg) was added to a DCM (3 mL) solution of the acid(0.25 mmol) and DIPEA (80 μL). After stirring for 15 min,2-aminothiazole or its derivative was added. The mixture was stirred atroom temperature for 16 h. After concentration, the residue was purifiedby flash chromatography (silica, 10-30% ethyl acetate in hexanes) toobtain desired amide.

General Procedure G and H

General procedure (G and H) for the synthesis of compounds of thegeneral formula (Ic):

wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and A, are as defined for formula (I), Theindazole starting material can be either commercially availablecompounds or compounds that can be prepared following proceduresdescribed in the literature. In the general formula R5X, X representschloride, bromide, iodide, mesylate or tosylate. The base used in step Acan be NaH, K₂CO₃, NaOH, t-BuOK, DBU or an equivalent of these. Thecoupling agent usend in step C can be EDC, DIC, DCC, BOP, PyBroP or anyequivalent of such which may or may not be combined with HOBt or HOAt.General Procedure G.

Indazole-3-carboxylic acid (8.0 g, 50.0 mmol) was dissolved in anhydrousmethanol (80 mL). After adding 2.0 mL of conc. H₂SO₄, the solution washeated at 50° C. for 24 h. The reaction mixture was slowly quenched bydropwise addition of saturated aqueous potassium carbonate. The solutionwas concentrated and the aqueous layer was extracted with ethyl acetate(3×100 mL). The combined organic extracts were washed with water (2×50mL), dried over sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated to afford apale yellow solid (8.1 g). The solid was used without furtherpurification.

Methyl indazole-3-carboxylate (0.5 g, 2.84 mmol) was dissolved intert-BuOH (20 mL). Potassium tert-butoxide (0.32 g, 2.84 mmol) was addedand the reaction mixture was stirred for 30 min at room temperature. Analkyl halide (2.84 mmol) was then added and the reaction mixture washeated at 70° C. for 72 h. The reaction mixture was cooled to roomtemperature and water was added. The aqueous phase was extracted withethyl acetate (3×50 mL) and the combined organic extracts were washed(water and brine), dried (sodium sulfate), filtered and concentrated invacuo to afford methyl 1-alkylindazole-3-carboxylate.

Methyl 1-alkylindazole-3-carboxylate was dissolved in MeOH and addedaqueous NaOH (10 eq., 4 N) and the reaction mixture was stirred at 60°C. for 4 hours before aqueous HCl (11 eq., 1 N) was introduced. Theaqueous phase was extracted with diethyl ether (2×1.5 mL), the organicfractions were combined and dried (MgSO₄) and the volatiles were removedin vacuo.

General Procedure H:

To the carboxylic acid (1 mmol) in DCE (8 mL) was added1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole (1 mmol) and the mixture was heated at 50° C.After 1 h, an alkylamine, heteroarylamine or arylamine (1 mmol) wasadded and the reaction mixture was heated at 50° C. overnight. The crudereaction mixture was concentrated and purified by flash chromatography(silica, 30-50% ethyl acetate in hexanes) to afford the desired amide.

General Procedure (I)

General procedure (I) for the synthesis of compounds of the generalformula (Ia):

wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and A, are as defined for formula (I). Theindole starting material can be either commercially available compoundsor compounds that can be prepared following procedures described in theliterature. In the general formula R5X, X represents chloride, bromide,iodide, mesylate or tosylate. The base used in step C can be NaH, K2CO3,NaOH, t-BuOK, DBU or an equivalent of these. The coupling agent in stepE can be EDC, DIC, DCC, BOP, PyBroP or any equivalent of such which maybe combined with HOBt or HOAt.

If a carboxylic acid is desired as a part of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 or asubstituent on A, a methylethyl-, isopropyl- or t-butyl ester can betaken through step A to step D and subsequently be hydrolysed usingstandard procedures for hydrolysis of esters. The procedure isillustrated in the following example.

Step A:

The indole derivative (44 mmol) was dissolved in DCM (25 mL) andpyridine (47 mmol) was added. A solution of trichloroacetyl chloride (66mmol) in DCM (10 mL) was added over the course of 30 min. The reactionmixture was stirred at room temperature (typical over night). If HPLCshowed unreacted indole starting material, an amount of trichloro acetylchloride coresponding to the amount of unreacted indole (estimated byHPLC) was added, and the mixture was stirred for an additional 2 hoursbefore the solvent was removed in vacuo. The crude product was stirredwith ethanol-water (1:1, 40 mL) for 20 min before the product wasfiltered off and dried in vacuo at 40° C., and used without any furtherpurification.

Step B:

To the 3-trichloroacetyl-indole derivative (18 mmol) from step A inmethanol (50 mL) was added MeONa (2 eq) and the reaction mixture wasstirred for 2 hour. The reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo. Theresidue was dissolved in ethyl acetate and washed with a 10% solution ofNaHSO4 (100 mL) followed by water (100 mL) and brine (100 mL). Theorganic phase was dried (MgSO4), filtred and concentrated in vacuo.

Step C:

To the 3-trichloroacetyl-indole derivative (5 mmol) from step B in THF(20 mL) was added NaH (60% in oil, 1.5 eq) and alkylating agent R5X (1.2eq mmol). The reaction mixture was stirred over night at roomtemperature.

Step D:

To the solution from step C was added aqueous NaOH (4 eq, 1 N) and thereaction mixture was stirred at 80° C. The organic phase was evaporatedin vacuo, and the residue purified by preparative HPLC (Method E). Thefractions containing the desired compound were combined and thevolatiles were removed in vacuo.

Step E:

The intermediate from step D (0.5 mmol) was dissolved in dry NMP (2.0mL) and HOBt (90 mg, 0.66 mmol), EDAC (128 mg, 0.66 mmol) and DIPEA (127mg, 0,666 mmol) was added and the reaction mixture heated to 40° C.under stirring for 30 min. NH2A (0.66 mmol) was added and the reactionmixture was heated to 120° C. for 1 hour and over night at roomtemperature.

The resulting mixture was applied directly on a preparative HPLCinstrument (HPLC-prep. (Method E)) and fractions were collected. Thefractions containing the desired compound were combined and thevolatiles were removed in vacuo.

General Procedure (J)

General procedure (J) for the synthesis of compounds of the generalformula (Ia):

wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and A, are as defined for formula (I). Theindole starting material can be either commercially available compoundsor compounds that can be prepared following procedures described in theliterature. In the general formula R5X, X represents chloride, bromide,iodide, mesylate or tosylate. The coupling agent in step C can be EDC,DIC, DCC, BOP, PyBroP or any equivalent of such which may be combinedwith HOBt or HOAt. The base used in step D can be NaH, K2CO3, NaOH,t-BuOK, DBU or an equivalent of these.

If a carboxylic acid is desired as a part of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 or asubstituent on A, a methylethyl-, isopropyl- or t-butyl ester can betaken through step A to step D and subsequently be hydrolysed usingstandard procedures for hydrolysis of esters. The procedure isillustrated in the following example.

Step A:

The indole derivative (44 mmol) was dissolved in DCM (25 mL) andpyridine (47 mmol) was added. A solution of trichloroacetyl chloride (66mmol) in DCM (10 mL) was added over the course of 30 min. The reactionmixture was stirred at room temperature (typical over night). If HPLCshowed unreacted indole starting material, an amount of trichloro acetylchloride coresponding to the amount of unreacted indole (estimated byHPLC) was added, and the mixture was stirred for an additional 2 hoursbefore the solvent was removed in vacuo. The crude product was stirredwith ethanol-water (1:1, 40 mL) for 20 min before the product wasfiltered off and dried in vacuo at 40° C., and used without any furtherpurification.

Step B:

To the 3-trichloroacetyl-indole derivative (25 mmol) from step A in THF(200 mL) was added NaOH (1N, 100 mL), and the reaction mixture wasstirred at room temperature for 16 h. The reaction mixture wasconcentrated in vacuo to half the volume, and added 1 N HCl. The productwas isolated by filtration and washed with water.

Step C:

The intermediate from step B (5 mmol) was dissolved in dry NMP (20 mL)and HOBt (770 mg, 5.7 mmol), EDAC (1.1 g, 5.7 mmol) and DIPEA (735 mg,5.7 mmol) was added. The reaction mixture was heated under stirring at40° C. for 30 min. NH2A (9.5 mmol) was added and the reaction mixturewas heated to 120° C. for 2 hour. The resulting mixture was eitherpoured on water and the product isolated by filtration or applieddirectly on a preparative HPLC instrument (HPLC-prep. (Method E)).

Step D:

The intermediate from step C (0.2 mmol) in THF (2 mL) was added NaH (60%in oil, 2 eq) followed by a mixture of the alkylating agent R5X (1 eq)and NaH (60% in oil, 1 eq) in DMSO (0.1 mL). The reaction mixture wasstirred over night at room temperature. The resulting mixture was addedwater (0.5 mL) and applied directly on a preparative HPLC instrument(HPLC-prep. (Method E)).

General Procedure (K)

General procedure (K) for the synthesis of compounds of the generalformula (Ia):

wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and A, are as defined for formula (I). Theindole starting material was prepared using general procedure (J) Step Ato C. In the general formula R5X, X represents chloride, bromide,iodide, mesylate or tosylate. The procedure is illustrated in thefollowing example.Step A:

The indole prepared as described in general procedure (J) step A to C (1mmol) was suspended in dry in THF (4 mL) and cooled to 0° C. NaHMDS (2.2mmol, 1M in THF) was added and the mixture was stirred for 1 h at roomtemperature. Then the appropriate alkyl halide/tosylate R5X (1.1 mmol)was added and the mixture was stirred at room temperature over night.Addition of MeOH (5 mL) and 2M aqueous LiOH (2 mL) followed by stirringfor 4 h. The mixture was evaporated to ¼ of the volume and acidifiedwith 1N HCl. If the product precipitated it was collected by filtrationand washed with water otherwise the mixture was extracted with EtOAc.The organic phase was dried and concentrated in vacuo and purified bypreparative HPLC (HPLC-prep. (Method E)).

Example 1 1-Cyclopentyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

Methyl indole-3-carboxylate (1 g, 5.7 mmol) was dissolved in dry NMP (5mL) under nitrogen, Bromocyclopentane (11.4 mmol) was added followed byNaH (60%) (274 mg, 11.4 mmol). The mixture was heated to 70° C. for 2hours. After cooling to room temperature the reaction mixture wasquenched with acetic acid (1 mL) and the mixture was separated betweendiethyl ether (50 mL) and water (50 mL). The organic phase was isolated,dried (Na₂SO₄) and solvent removed in vacuo.

The crude material was dissolved in ethanol (10 mL) and NaOH (400 mg, 10mmol) dissolved in water (2 mL) was added and the mixture was heated toreflux for 3 hours. After cooling to room temperature, water (50 mL) wasadded and the pH adjusted to pH=2 by the addition of 1N HCl. The mixturewas washed with diethyl ether (2×50 mL). The organic phase was isolated,dried (Na₂SO₄) and solvent removed in vacuo. To give the crudederivative of indole-3-carboxylic acid that was subsequently used in thenext step without any further purification.

The crude derivative of indole-3-carboxylic acid was dissolved in NMP (5mL). EDAC (1.09 g, 5.7 mmol) and HOBt (0.92 g, 6.84 mmol) were added.The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour before2-aminothiazole (5.7 mmol) was added. The mixture was heated to 120° C.for 2 hours. After cooling to room temperature the reaction mixture wasseparated between diethyl ether (50 mL) and water (50 mL). The organicphase was washed with saturated aqueous Na₂CO₃ (50 mL), dried (Na₂SO₄)and the solvent removed in vacuo. The crude material was recrystalizedfrom acetonitrile to give the title compound.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=230 (M+1); R_(t)=3.36 min.

Example 2 Prepared in Accordance with the Procedure Described in Example1 1-CycloHexylmethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

R5Br=Cyclohexylmethylbromide; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole; Indole startingmaterial=methyl indole 3-carboxylate

¹H NMR (DMSO-d₆): δ 12.12 (s, 1H), 8.55 (s, 1H), 8.25 (d, 1H), 7.61 (d,1H), 7.51 (d, 1H); 7.30-7.20 (m, 2H), 7.18 (d, 1H), 4.10 (d, 2H), 1.83(m, 1H), 1.75-1.55 (m, 5H), 1.36-0.93 (m, 5H).

Example 3 General Procedure (B) 1-Benzyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

R5Br=Bromomethylbenzene; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole; Indole startingmaterial=methyl indole 3-carboxylate

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=334 (M+1); R_(t)=3.90 min.

Example 4 General Procedure (B) 1-Benzyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidpyridine-2-ylamide

R5Br=Bromomethylbenzene; NH₂A=2-aminopyridine; Indole startingmaterial=methyl indole 3-carboxylate

HPLC-MS (Method B): m/z=328 (M+1); R_(t)=2.66 min.

Example 5 General Procedure (B)2-[(1-Benzyl-1-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-4-yl}-acetic acid

R5X=bromomethylbenzene; NH₂A=ethyl-2-(2-amino-1,3-thiazol-4-yl)acetate;Indole starting material=methyl indole 3-carboxylate

Ethyl 2-[(1-benzyl-1-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-4-yl}-acetateobtained after step C was dissolved in EtOH (1.0 mL) and NaOH (256 μL, 4N in water) was introduced. The reaction mixture was stirred 30 min atroom temperature before HCl (1.3 mL, 1N in water) was added whereupon aprecipitate was formed. The solid material was filtered off, washed withwater (5 mL) and dried in vacuo at 50° C. for 16 hours.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=414 (M+23); R_(t)=3.8 min.

Example 6 General Procedure (A)1-(3-Fluoro-benzyl)-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluroindole; R5X=3-fluoro-bromomethylbenzene;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method C): m/z=370 (M+1); R_(t)=4.60 min.

Example 7 General Procedure (A)1-(2-Fluoro-benzyl)-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole;R5X=2-fluoro-bromomethylbenzene, NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method C): m/z=370 (M+1); R_(t)=4.60 min.

Example 8 General Procedure (A)1-(4-Trifluoromethyl-benzyl)-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole;R5X=4-trifluoromethyl-bromomethylbenzene; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method C): m/z=420 (M+1); R_(t)=5.10 min.

Example 9 General Procedure (A)6-Fluoro-1-(4-methanesulfonyl-benzyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole; R5X=4-methylsulfonylbenzylchloride; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method C): m/z=430 (M+1); R_(t)=3.9 min.

Example 10 General Procedure (A)5-Methyl-1-(benzyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=5-methyl-indole; R5X=1-bromomethylbenzene;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method C): m/z=348 (M+1); R_(t)=4.7 min.

Example 11 General Procedure (A) 1-(Phenylethyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylicacid thiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=Indole; R5X=2-bromoethylbenzene;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method C): m/z=348 (M+1); R_(t)=4.5 min.

Example 12 General Procedure (A) 1-Cyanomethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylicacid thiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=indole; R5X=bromoacetonitrile,NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method C): m/z=283 (M+1); R_(t)=3.20 min.

Example 13 1-Benzyl-6-(morpholine-4-carbonyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylicacid thiazol-2-ylamide

Indole-6-carboxylic acid (0.60 g, 3.7 mmol) was dissolved in DCM (15 mL)and carbonyl diimidazole (0.63 g, 3.9 mmol) was added and the reactionmixture was refluxed under N₂ for 30 min. The mixture was allowed tocool to room temperature before morpholine (0.39 g, 4.5 mmol) was addedand the reaction mixture was refluxed for 16 hours. The mixture wasallowed to cool to room temperature before it was washed in seqence withHCl (50 mL, 1 N in water), NaOH (50 mL, 1 N in water) and brine (50 mL).The organic phase was dried with MgSO₄, and the solvent was removed invacuo to give 0.74 g of (1H-indol-6-yl)-morpholin-4-yl-methanone.

This compound was transformed to the title compound according to Generalprocedure (A), using R5X=bromomethylbenzene; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole.

HPLC-MS (Method C): m/z=477 (M+1); R_(t)=3.40 min.

Example 14 1-Methyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

1-Methyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid and 2-aminothiazole was coupled andpurified according to the conditions described in General Procedure (B),Step C).

HPLC-MS (Method B): m/z=258 (M+1); R_(t)=3.16 min.

Example 15 General Procedure (A)1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole; R5X=Cyclopropylmethylbromide;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method B): m/z=316 (M+1); R_(t)=4.06 min.

Example 16 General Procedure (B)6-Fluoro-1-prop-2-ynyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole; R5X=propargylbromide;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method B): m/z=300 (M+1); R_(t)=4.0 min.

Example 17 General Procedure (A)1-But-2-enyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole; R5X=crotylbromide;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method B): m/z=316 (M+1); R_(t)=4.6 min.

Example 18 General Procedure (A)6-Fluoro-1-(3-methyl-but-2-enyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole; R5X=3,3-dimethylallylbromide;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method B): m/z=330 (M+1); R_(t)=4.8 min.

Example 19 General Procedure (A)1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid[1,2,4]thiadiazol-5-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole; R5X=bromomethylcyclopropane;NH₂A=[1,2,4]-thiadiazole-5-ylamine

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=317 (M+1); R_(t)=3.9 min.

Example 20 General Procedure (A)6-Bromo-1-cyclopropylmethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-bromoindole; R5X=bromomethylcyclopropane;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=378 (M+1); R_(t)=4.31 min.

Example 21 General Procedure (A)6-Chloro-1-cyclopropylmethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-chloroindole; R5X=bromomethylcyclopropane;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=332 (M+1); R_(t)=4.2 min.

Example 22 General Procedure (A)1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-methoxy-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-methoxyindole; R5X=bromomethylcyclopropane;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=328 (M+1); R_(t)=3.6 min.

Example 23 General Procedure (A)1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-methyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-methylindole; R5X=bromomethylcyclopropane;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=312 (M+1); R_(t)=3.9 min.

Example 24 General Procedure (A)1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-trifluoromethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-trifluoromethylindole;R5X=bromomethylcyclopropane; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=366 (M+1); R_(t)=4.4 min.

Example 25 General Procedure (A)1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-nitro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-nitroindole; R5X=bromomethylcyclopropane;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=343 (M+1); R_(t)=4.0 min.

Example 26 General Procedure (B)1-(3-Fluoro-benzyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

R5X=1-Bromomethyl-3-fluoro-benzene; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole; Indolestarting material=methyl indole 3-carboxylate

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=352 (M+1); R_(t)=4.04 min.

Example 27 General Procedure (B)1-(2-Trifluoro-benzyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

R5X=1-Bromomethyl-2-trifluoromethyl-benzene; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole;Indole starting material=methyl indole 3-carboxylate

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=402 (M+1); R_(t)=4.47 min.

Example 28 General Procedure (B)1-(2-Fluoro-benzyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

R5X=1-Bromomethyl-2-fluoro-benzene, NH₂A=2-aminothiazole; Indolestarting material=methyl indole 3-carboxylate

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=352 (M+1); R_(t)=4.03 min.

Example 29 General Procedure (B)1-(4-Methanesulfonyl-benzyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

R5X=1-Bromomethyl-4-methanesulfonyl-benzene, NH₂A=2-aminothiazole;Indole starting material=methyl indole 3-carboxylate

HPLC-MS (Method C): m/z=412 (M+1); R_(t)=3.39 min.

Example 30 General Procedure (B)1-(3-Trifluoro-benzyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

R5X=1-Bromomethyl-3-trifluoromethyl-benzene; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole;Indole starting material=methyl indole 3-carboxylate

HPLC-MS (Method C): m/z=402 (M+1); R_(t)=4.39 min.

Example 31 General Procedure (B)1-(3-Chloro-benzyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

R5X=1-Bromomethyl-3-chloro-benzene; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole; Indolestarting material=methyl indole 3-carboxylate

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=368 (M+1); R_(t)=4.27 min.

Example 32 General Procedure (B)1-(4-Fluoro-benzyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

R5X=1-Bromomethyl-4-fluoro-benzene; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole; Indolestarting material=methyl indole 3-carboxylate

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=352 (M+1); R_(t)=4.05 min.

Example 33 General Procedure (B)1-(3-Methoxy-benzyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

R5X=1-Bromomethyl-3-methoxy-benzene; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole; Indolestarting material=methyl indole 3-carboxylate

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=364 (M+1); R_(t)=4.00 min.

Example 34 General Procedure C1-(4-Acetylamino-benzyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

R5X=N-(4-chloromethylphenyl)-acetamide; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole; Indolestarting material=methyl indole 3-carboxylate

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=391 (M+1); R_(t)=3.27 min.

Example 35 General Procedure (B)1-Phenylcarbamoylmethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

R5X=2-chloro-N-phenylacetamide; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole; Indole startingmaterial=methyl indole 3-carboxylate

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=377 (M+1); R_(t)=3.5 min.

Example 36 General Procedure (A)1-Benzyl-5-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=5-fluoroindole; R5X=Bromomethylbenzene;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=352 (M+1); R_(t)=4.14 min.

Example 37 General Procedure (A)1-Benzyl-5-chloro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=5-chloroindole; R5X=bromomethylbenzene;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method B): m/z=368 (M+1); R_(t)=4.46 min.

Example 38 General Procedure (A)1-Benzyl-5-benzyloxy-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=5-benzyloxyindole; R5X=bromomethylbenzene;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method B): m/z=440 (M+1); R_(t)=4.72 min.

Example 39 General Procedure (A)1-Benzyl-5-methyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=5-methylindole; R5X=bromomethylbenzene;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=348 (M+1); R_(t)=4.24 min.

Example 40 General Procedure (A)1-Benzyl-4-methoxy-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=4-methoxyindole; R5X=Bromomethylbenzene,NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=364 (M+1); R_(t)=3.92 min.

Example 41 General Procedure (A)5-Benzyl-5H-[1,3]dioxolo[4,5-f]indole-7-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=5,6-methylenedioxyindole;R5X=bromomethylbenzene, NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method B): m/z=378 (M+1); R_(t)=3.90 min.

Example 42 General Procedure (A)1-Benzyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole; R5X=bromomethylbenzene;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=352 (M+1); R_(t)=4.16 min.

Example 43 General Procedure (B)1-Carbamoylmethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=indole; R5X=2-bromo-acetamide;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method C): m/z=301 (M+1); R_(t)=2.40 min.

Example 44 General Procedure (B)1-(2-Methyl-allyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=indole; R5X=3-bromo-2-methyl-propene;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method C): m/z=298 (M+1); R_(t)=4.00 min.

Example 45 General Procedure (A)1-Cyclopropyl-methyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=indole; R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method C): m/z=298 (M+1); R_(t)=4.00 min.

Example 46 General Procedure (B) 1-Benzyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidpyrimidin-4-ylamide

1-Benzylindole-3-carboxylic acid (25.9 mg, 96 mmol) was dissolved inSOCl₂ (1 mL) and the mixture was stirred for 30 min before the volatileswere removed in vacuo. The residue was dissolved in MeCN (200 μL) andadded to a solution of pyrimidin-4-yl-amine (10 mg, 105 mmol) in NMP(200 μL). The reaction mixture was stirred 16 hours at room temperaturebefore the MeCN was removed in vacuo. The residue was purified usingHPLC method D to give title compound.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=329 (M+1); R_(t)=3.3 min.

Example 47 General Procedure (A)1-(4-Carbamoyl-benzyl)-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole; R5X=4-chlormethylbenzamide;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=395 (M+1); R_(t)=3.1 min.

Example 48 General Procedure (B)1-Cyclopropylmethyl-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Azaindole starting material=1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine-3-carboxylic acidmethyl ester; R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=299 (M+1); R_(t)=2.1 min.

Example 49 General Procedure (K)1-(5-Hydroxy-pentyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

The title compound was prepared using 1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide and 5-bromopentyl acetate as R5X.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=330.1 (M+1); R_(t)=3.05 min

Example 50 General Procedure (K)1-(4-Hydroxy-butyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

The title compound was prepared using 1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide and 4-bromobutyl acetate as R5X.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=316.0 (M+1); R_(t)=2.84 min

Example 51 1-Cyclopropylmethyl-1H-indole-3,6-dicarboxylic acid 6-amide3-thiazol-2-ylamide

The compound was prepared according to the procedure for the synthesisof 1-Benzyl-6-(morpholine-4-carbonyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide. Instead of morpholine ammonia (0.5 M) in dioxane wasused and instead of benzyl bromide cyclopropylmethylbromide was used.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=341 (M+1); R_(t)=2.6 min

Example 52 General Procedure (A)1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidbenzothiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole; R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide;NH₂A=2-aminobenzothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=366 (M+1); R_(t)=4.8 min.

Example 53 General Procedure (K)1-(2,2,2-Trifluoro-ethyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

The title compound was prepared using 1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide and 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl triflate as R5X.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=325.9 (M+1); R_(t)=3.61 min

Example 54 General Procedure (I)6-Fluoro-1-pyridin-4-ylmethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole; R5X=4-chloromethylpyridine;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=353 (M+1); R_(t)=2.8 min. ¹H NMR (400 MHz,CDCl₃) δ 7.15 (dt, 1H), 7.23 (d, 1H), 7.50-7.57 (m, 2H), 7.60 (d, 1H),8.22-8.29 (m, 1H), 8.63 (s, 1H), 8.77 (d, 2H) ppm.

Example 55 General Procedure (J)6-Fluoro-1-pyridin-3-ylmethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole; R5X=3-chloromethylpyridine;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=353 (M+1); R_(t)=2.57 min. ¹H NMR (400 MHz,CDCl₃) δ 7.12 (dt, 1H), 7.20 (d, 1H), 7.50 (d, 1H), 7.62-7.73 (m, 2H),8.05 (d, 1H), 8.17-8.28 (dd, 1H), 8.64 (s, 1H), 8.72 (d, 1H), 8.82(s,1H) ppm.

Example 56 General Procedure (J)6-Fluoro-1-quinolin-2-ylmethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole; R5X=3-chloromethyl-quinolin;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=403 (M+1); R_(t)=3.7 min.

Example 57 General Procedure (I)6-Fluoro-1-pyridin-2-ylmethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole; R5X=2-chloromethylpyridine;NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=353 (M+1); R_(t)=3.69 min

Example 58 General Procedure (K)1-(2-Methanesulfonyl-ethyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

The title compound was prepared using 1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide and toluene-4-sulfonic acid 2-methanesulfonyl-ethylester as R5X.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=350.1 (M+1); R_(t)=2.68 min

Example 59 General Procedure (A)6-Acetylamino-1-cyclopropylmethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=indole-6-yl-acetamide;R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=355 (M+1); R_(t)=2.8 min.

Example 60[1-Cyclopropylmethyl-3-(thiazol-2-ylcarbamoyl)-1H-indol-6-yloxy]-aceticacid

6-Hydroxyindole (1.0 g, 7.51 mmol) in degassed MeCN (10 mL) was addedK₂CO₃ (1.14 g, 8.26 mmol) followed by tert-butyl bromoacetate (1.16 g,8.26 mmol) and the reaction mixture was stirred for 20 hous under N₂.The precipitate was filtered off and the solvent was removed in vacuo togive (1-H-indole-6-yloxy)-acetic acid. This was converted to[1-Cyclopropylmethyl-3-(thiazol-2-ylcarbamoyl)-1H-indol-6-yloxy]-aceticacid tert-butyl ester follwing general procedure (A).[1-Cyclopropylmethyl-3-(thiazol-2-ylcarbamoyl)-1H-indol-6-yloxy]-aceticacid was obtained by treating the intermediate with TFA-DCM (1:1) (2 mL)for 90 min before the solvent was removed in vacuo.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=372 (M+1); R_(t)=3.0 min

Example 61 General Procedure (A)1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-methanesulfonylamino-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material: N-(1H-indole-6-yl)-methanesulfonamide,R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=391 (M+1); R_(t)=3.0 min

Example 62 General Procedure (J, Step D)6-Fluoro-1-(2-pyridin-2-yl-ethyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

The title compound was prepared using 6-Fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylicacid thiazol-2-ylamide and toluene-4-sulfonic acid 2-pyridin-2-yl-ethylester as R5X.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=367.2 (M+1); R_(t)=2.78 min

Example 63 1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-hydroxymethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylicacid thiazol-2-ylamide

1 g (1H-indole-6-yl)-methanol (1.0 g, 6.79 mmol) in DCM (25 mL) wasadded DBU (1.24 g, 8.15 mmol) and tert-butyldimethylsilylchloride (1.14g, 7.54 mmol). The reaction mixture was stirred 16 hours before water(25 mL) was added. The phases were separated and the organic phase waswashed with HCl (0.1 N, 25 mL) and sodium bicarbonate (sat., 25 mL) anddried MgSO₄. The solvent was removed in vacuo to give 1.6 g (90%)6-(tert-butyldimethylsilanyloxymethyl)-indole. This was converted to1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-hydroxymethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide using general procedure A whereR5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=328 (M+1); R_(t)=2.8

Example 64 General Procedure (K)6-Fluoro-1-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

The title compound was prepared using 1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide and 2-bromoethyl acetate as R5X.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=306.1 (M+1); R_(t)=2.85 min

Example 65{2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-4-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole; R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide;NH₂A=(2-amino-thiazol-5-ylsulfany)-acetic acid ethyl ester

Preparation of (2-amino-thiazol-5-ylsulfany)-acetic acid ethyl ester:5-bromoaminothiazole (25 g, 96.2 mmol) was dissolved in dry degassed DMF(50 mL) and the mixture was cooled on an ice bath before K₂CO₃ (26.5 g,192.3 mmol) was added. Mercaptoacetic acid ethyl ester (11.6 g, 96.2mmol) was added dropwise to the mixture at 0° C. The reaction mixturewas stirred for 16 hours before brine-water (1:1) (500 mL) was added andextracted with Et₂O. The aqueous phase was extrated with additional2×200 mL Et₂O, and the combined organic phases were washed with 2×200 mLbrine and dried with MgSO4. The solvent was removed in vacuo to give anoil. The residue was dissolved in EtOAc, applied on a 10 cm silicagelcolumn and eluded with EtOAc-heptane (1:1). The pure fractions werecollected and the solvent was removed in vacuo to give 8.7 g(2-amino-thiazol-5-ylsulfany)-acetic acid ethyl ester.

Following general procedure A using 6-fluoroindole andR5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide{2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-4-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid ethyl ester was obtained. Ester hydrolysis: 110 mg (0.25 mmol){2-[(1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-4-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid ethyl ester was dissolved in EtOH (3 mL) and NaOH (254 μL, 4N) wasintroduced. The mixture was heated to 80° C. for 1 hour before it wascooled to room temperature and pH was adjusted to 2 using 1 N HCl,where-upon a white precipitate was formed. The product was filtered offand dried to give 85 mg{2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-4-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=406 (M+1); R_(t)=3.6 min

Example 66 1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-hydroxymethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylicacid (4-methyl-thiazol-2-yl)-amide

The compound was prepared according to the procedure given for1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-hydroxymethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide using 2-amino4-methyl-thiazole.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=342 (M+1); R_(t)=3.1 min

Example 67 General1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-hydroxymethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid(5-methyl-thiazol-2-yl)-amide

The compound was prepared according to the procedure given for1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-hydroxymethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide using 2-amino-5-methyl-thiazole.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=342 (M+1); R_(t)=3.1 min

Example 68 General Procedure (I)6-Fluoro-1-(2,2,2-trifluoro-ethyl)-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole; R5X=Trifluoromethane-sulfonicacid 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl ester; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=344 (M+1); R_(t)=4.0 min

Example 69 General Procedure (I)6-Fluoro-1-(2,2,2-trifluoro-ethyl)-indole-3-carboxylic acid(5-methyl-thiazol-2-yl)-amide

Indole starting material=6-fluoroindole; R5X=Trifluoromethane-sulfonicacid 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl ester; NH₂A=2-amino-5 methylthiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=358 (M+1); R_(t)=4.1 min

Example 70 General Procedure (A)5-Chloro-1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material: 6-fluro-5-chloroindole,R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=350 (M+1); R_(t)=4.1 min

Example 71 General Procedure (A)1-Cyclopropylmethyl-5,6-difluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material: 5,6-difluoroindole,R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=334 (M+1); R_(t)=3.8 min

Example 72 General Procedure (A)1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-methanesulfonyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material: 6-methanesulfonylindole,R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=376 (M+1); R_(t)=2.9 min

Example 73 General Procedure (K)6-Fluoro-1-(tetrahydro-furan-2-ylmethyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=346 (M+1); R_(t)=3.5 min

Example 74 General Procedure (A)1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid[5-(pyridin-2-ylsulfanyl)-thiazol-2-yl]-amide

Indole starting material: 6-fluoroindole, R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide;NH₂A=5-(pyridin-2-ylsulfanyl)-thiazole-2-ylamine

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=425 (M+1); R_(t)=4.7 min

Example 75 General Procedure (A)1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid[5-(pyrimidin-2-ylsulfanyl)-thiazol-2-yl]-amide

Indole starting material: 6-fluoroindole, R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide;NH₂A=5-(pyrimidin-2-ylsulfanyl)-thiazole-2-ylamine

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=426 (M+1); R_(t)=4.6 min

Example 76 General Procedure (A)1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid[5-(1-methyl-1H-tetrazol-5-ylsulfanyl)-thiazol-2-yl]-amide

Indole starting material: 6-fluoroindole, R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide;NH₂A=5-(1-methyl-1-H-tetrazol-5-ylsulfanyl)-thiazole-2-ylamine

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=430 (M+1); R_(t)=4.3 min

Example 77 General Procedure (A)2-{2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-3H-imidazole-4-carboxylicacid

Indole starting material: 6-fluoroindole, R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide;NH₂A=2-(2-amino-thiazole-5-ylsulfanyl)-3H-imidazole-4-carboxylic acidethyl ester

After step D the ester was hydrolyzed according to the procedure givenfor{2-[(1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-4-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=458 (M+1); R_(t)=3.1 min

Example 78 General Procedure (A){2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-trifluoromethyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid ethyl ester

Indole starting material: 6-trifluoromethylindole,R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide;NH₂A=(2-amino-thiazole-5-ylsulfanyl)-acetic acid ethyl ester

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=484 (M+1); R_(t)=5.0 min

Example 79 General Procedure (K)6-Fluoro-1-(tetrahydro-furan-3-ylmethyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=346 (M+1); R_(t)=3.4 min

Example 80 1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1-indole-3-carboxylic acid(5-p-tolyloxy-thiazol-2-yl)-amide

1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide (2.5 mmol), N-bromosuccinimide (6 mmol) was stirred inHOAc (25 mL) over night at room temperature. The reaction mixture wasevaporated to dryness and the crude product was purified by flashchromatography (Horizon, EtOAc-heptane) to give1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid(5-bromo-thiazol-2-yl)-amide in 32% yield. A solution of1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid(5-bromo-thiazol-2-yl)-amide (0.2 mmol), p-cresol (0.2 mmol) andpotassium-t-butoxide (0.44 mmol) in DME (3 mL) was heated in a closedvessel in a Smith Creator microwave oven for 300 s at 120° C. Additionof water followed by extraction with DCM, drying of the organic phasefollowed by purification by preparative HPLC (Method E) gave the titlecompound.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=422.3 (M+1); R_(t)=5.18 min

Example 81 General Procedure (A){2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-trifluoromethyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid

{2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-trifluoromethyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid ethyl ester was hydrolysed according to the procedure given in theprocedure for the synthesis of{2-[(1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-4-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=456 (M+1); R_(t)=4.1 min

Example 82 General Procedure (K) 1-(2-Cyano-ethyl)-indole-3-carboxylicacid thiazol-2-ylamide

The title compound was prepared using 1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide and 3-bromo propionitrile as R5X.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=297.4 (M+1); R_(t)=2.84 min

Example 83 1-[2-(1H-Tetrazol-5-yl)-ethyl]-1-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

A mixture of 1-(2-cyano-ethyl)-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide was heated in a closed vessel at 120° C. over night.The crude reaction mixture was purified by preparative HPLC (Method E)to give the title compound.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=340.0 (M+1); R_(t)=2.55 min

Example 84 General Procedure (A)3-{2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-trifluoromethyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-propionicacid ethyl ester

Indole starting material: 6-trifluoromethylindole,R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide;NH₂A=(2-amino-thiazole-5-ylsulfanyl)-propionic acid ethyl ester(prepared according to the procedure for the synthesis of(2-amino-thiazole-5-ylsulfanyl)-acetic acid ethyl ester described underthe procedure for the synthesis of{2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-4-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=498 (M+1); R_(t)=4.9 min

Example 85 General Procedure (A)3-{2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-methyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-propionicacid ethyl ester

Indole starting material: 6-methylindole, R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide;NH₂A=(2-amino-thiazole-5-ylsulfanyl)-propionic acid ethyl ester

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=444 (M+1); R_(t)=4.7 min

Example 86 General Procedure (A)3-{2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-trifluoromethyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-propionicacid

3-{2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-trifluoromethyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-propionicacid ethyl ester was hydrolysed according to the procedure given in theprocedure for the synthesis of{2-[(1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol4-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=470 (M+1); R_(t)=4.5 min

Example 87 General Procedure (A)3-{2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-propionicacid

3-{2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-propionicacid ethyl ester was hydrolysed according to the procedure given in theprocedure for the synthesis of{2-[(1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-4-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=420 (M+1); R_(t)=4.1 min

Example 88 General Procedure (A)3-{2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-methyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-propionicacid

Indole starting material: 6-methylindole, R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide;NH₂A=(2-amino-thiazole-5-ylsulfanyl)-propionic acid ethyl ester

3-{2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-methyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-propionicacid ethyl ester was hydrolysed according to the procedure given in theprocedure for the synthesis of{2-[(1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-4-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=416 (M+1); R_(t)=4.1 min

Example 89 General Procedure (A)1-Cyclopropylmethyl-6-methoxymethyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Indole starting material: 6-methoxymethylindole,R5X=cyclopropyl-methylbromide;NH₂A=(2-amino-thiazole-5-ylsulfanyl)-propionic acid ethyl ester

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=342 (M+1); R_(t)=3.3 min

Example 90 1-Cyclopropylmethyl-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridine-3-carboxylicacid thiazol-2-ylamide

Starting material: 1H-Pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridine-3-carboxylic acid methylester, R5X=cyclopropylmethylbromide; NH₂A=2-aminothiazole

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=299 (M+1); R_(t)=1.1 min

Example 91 General Procedure (B){2-[(1-Cyclopropylmethyl-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridine-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid

Starting material: 1H-Pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridine-3-carboxylic acid methylester, R5X=cyclopropylmethylbromide;NH₂A=(2-amino-thiazole-5-ylsulfanyl)-acetic acid ethyl ester

After step C the ester was hydrolysed according to the procedure givenin the procedure for the synthesis of{2-[(1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-4-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid.

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=389 (M+1); R_(t)=1.2 min

Example 92 General Procedure (B)3-{2-[(1-Benzyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-4-yl}-propionicacid ethyl ester

Indole starting material: Indole-3-carboxylic acid ethyl ester,R5X=benzyl bromide, NH₂A=3-(2-amino-thiazol-4-yl)-propionic acid ethylester

HPLC-MS (Method A): m/z=434 (M+1); R_(t)=2.2 min

Example 93 1-Benzyl-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

1-Benzyl-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (1.12 g) was prepared from ethylpyrrole-2-carboxylate (1.39 g, 10.0 mmol) and benzyl bromide (1.26 mL,11.0 mmol) following general procedures A and B.1-Benzyl-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide (45 mg) wasprepared from 1-benzyl-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (50 mg, 0.25 mmol) and2-aminothiazole (25 mg, 0.25 mmol) following the general procedure F.

LCMS: 284 (M+1)^(+, 1)H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃) δ 5.70 (s, 2H), 6.18 (m,1H), 6.92 (m, 2H), 7.04 (m, 1H), 7.15 (m, 2H), 7.28 (m, 3H), 7.40 (d,1H) ppm.

Example 94 1-(4-Fluorobenzyl)-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

1-(4-Fluorobenzyl)-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (1.18 g) was prepared fromethyl-pyrrole-2-carboxylate (1.39 g, 10.0 mmol) and 4-fluorobenzylbromide (1.38 mL, 11.0 mmol) following the general procedures A and B.1-(4-Fluorobenzyl)-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide (45 mg)was prepared from 1-(4-fluorobenzyl)-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (55 mg,0.25 mmol) and 2-aminothiazole (25 mg, 0.25 mmol) following the generalprocedure F.

LCMS: 302 (M+1)^(+, 1)H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃) δ 5.63 (s, 2H), 6.24 (m,1H), 6.92 (m, 4H), 6.99 (d, 1H), 7.16 (dd, 2H), 7.26 (d, 1H), 10.85 (s,1H) ppm.

Example 95 (2-{[1-Ethylpyrrole-2-carbonyl]-amino}-thiazol-4-yl) aceticacid ethyl ester

1-Ethylpyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (90 mg) was prepared fromethyl-pyrrole-2-carboxylate (140 mg, 1.0 mmol) and ethyl iodide (0.12mL, 1.5 mmol) following the general procedures A and B.(2-{[1-Ethylpyrrole-2-carbonyl]-amino}-thiazol-4-yl) acetic acid ethylester (46 mg) was prepared from 1-ethylpyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (90 mg,0.53 mmol) and 2-aminothiazol-4-yl acetic acid ethyl ester (95 mg, 0.53mmol) following the general procedure F.

LCMS: 308 (M+1)^(+, 1)H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃) δ 1.59 (t, 3H), 1.76 (t,3H), 4.00 (s, 2H), 4.54 (q, 2H), 4.76 (q, 2H), 6.5 (dd, 1H), 7.10 (s,1H), 7.12 (d, 1H), 7.25 (d, 1H), 9.70 (br s, 1H) ppm.

Example 96(2-{[1-(4-Fluorobenzyl)-1H-pyrrole-2-carbonyl]-amino}-thiazol-4-yl)acetic acid ethyl ester

(2-{[1-(4-Fluorobenzyl)-1H-pyrrole-2-carbonyl]-amino}-thiazol-4-yl)acetic acid ethyl ester (60 mg) was prepared from1-(4-fluorobenzyl)-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (55 mg, 0.25 mmol) and2-aminothiazol-4-yl acetic acid ethyl ester (47 mg, 0.25 mmol) followingthe general procedure F.

LCMS: 388 (M+1)^(+, 1)H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃) δ 1.57 (t, 3H), 3.97 (s,2H), 4.50 (q, 2H), 5.94 (s, 2H), 6.55 (m, 1H), 7.11 (d, 1H), 7.24 (m,2H), 7.30 (t, 1H), 7.42 (m, 2H), 7.60 (d, 1H) ppm.

Example 97 4-Cyclopentanecarbonyl-1-ethypyrrole-2-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Ethyl-(1-ethylpyrrole)-2-carboxylic acid ester was prepared from ethylpyrrole-2-carboxylate (834 mg, 6.0 mmol) and iodoethane (0.48 mL, 6.0mmol) following the general procedure A. Anhydrous aluminum trichloride(800 mg, 6.0 mmol) was added to a solution ofethyl-(1-ethylpyrrole)-2-carboxylic acid ester in DCE (20 mL) at 0° C.After stirring for 10 min, cyclopentylcarbonyl chloride (1.45 mL, 15.0mmol) was added and the reaction mixture was stirred for 24 h at roomtemperature. The reaction mixture was carefully poured into an ice-coldsolution of 1.0 M HCl. The mixture was extracted with DCM (3×50 mL) andthe combined organic extracts was washed with 1 M aqueous NaOH solution(50 mL) and then water. The organic layer was dried (sodium sulfate),filtered and concentrated. The crude acylated intermediate was useddirectly.

4-Cyclopentanecarbonyl-1-ethylpyrrole2-carboxylic acid (540 mg) wasobtained after hydrolysis of the crude acyl ester intermediate usinggeneral procedure E. 4-Cyclopentanecarbonyl-1-ethylpyrrole-2-carboxylicacid thiazol-2-ylamide (50 mg) was prepared from4-cyclopentanecarbonyl-1-ethyl-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (93 mg, 0.39mmol) and 2-aminothizaole (40 mg, 0.4 mmol) following general procedureF.

LCMS: 318 (M+1)⁺ ¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃) δ 1.5 (t, 3H), 1.6-1.9 (mm,8H), 3.28 (quintet, 1H), 4.49 (q, 2H), 6.97 (d, 1H), 7.34 (m, 2H), 7.56(d, 1H) ppm.

Example 98 4-Cyclopentanecarbonyl-1-butylpyrrole-2-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

Ethyl-(1-butylpyrrole)-2-carboxylic acid ester was prepared from ethylpyrrole-2-carboxylate (139 mg, 1.0 mmol) and iodobutane (0.11 mL, 1.0mmol) following general procedure A.

Anhydrous aluminum trichloride (467 mg, 3.5 mmol) was added to asolution of ethyl-(1-butylpyrrole)-2-carboxylic acid ester in DCE (20mL) at 0° C. After stirring for 10 min, cyclopentylcarbonyl chloride(0.15 mL, 1.0 mmol) was added and the reaction mixture was stirred for24 h at room temperature. The reaction mixture was carefully poured intoan ice-cold solution of 1.0 M HCl. The mixture was extracted with DCM(3×20 mL) and the combined organic extracts was washed with 1 M aqueousNaOH solution (20 mL) and then water. The organic layer was dried(sodium sulfate), filtered and concentrated. The crude acylatedintermediate was used directly.

4-Cyclopentanecarbonyl-1-butyl-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (132 mg) wasobtained following the hydrolysis of the ester intermediate via thegeneral procedure E. 4-Cyclopentanecarbonyl-1-butyl-pyrrole-2-carboxylicacid thiazol-2-ylamide (40 mg) was prepared from4-cyclopentanecarbonyl-1-butyl-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (132 mg, 0.5mmol) and 2-aminothiazole (51 mg, 0.5 mmol) following the generalprocedure F.

LCMS: 346 (M+1)⁺ ¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃) δ 0.84 (m, 2H), 0.90 (t, 2H),1.16 (t, 3H), 1.5-1.8 (mm, 8H), 3.60 (quintet, 1H), 4,5 (t, 2H), 6.92(d, 1H), 7.27 (d, 1H), 7.31 (s, 1), 7.28 (d, 1H) ppm.

Example 99 1-(Toluene-4-sulfonyl)-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

1-(Toluene-4-sulfonyl)-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide(68 mg) was prepared from 1-(toluene-4-sulfonyl)-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylicacid (66 mg, 0.25 mmol) and 2-aminothiazole (25 mg, 0.25 mmol) followingthe general procedure F.

LCMS: 348 (M+1)^(+, 1)H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d₆+CDCl₃) δ 2.30 (t, 3H),6.99 (m, 2H), 7.18 (m, 1H), 7.33 (d, 2H), 7.41 (dd, 1H), 7.77 (d, 2H),7.24 (dd, 2H), 8.22 (dd, 1H), 12.09 (br, 1H) ppm.

Example 100 2-(4-Fluoro-benzyl)-5-propyl-2H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

2-(4-Fluorobenzyl)-5-propyl-2H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid (0.78 g) wasprepared from 5-propyl-2H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid ethyl ester (0.91g, 5.0 mmol) and 4-fluorobenzyl bromide (1.05 g, 5.5 mmol) following thegeneral procedures D and E.2-(4-Fluorobenzyl)-5-propyl-2H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide (50 mg) was prepared from2-(4-fluoro-benzyl)-5-propyl-2H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid (65 mg, 0.25mmol) and 2-aminothiazole (25 mg, 0.25 mmol) following the generalprocedure F.

LCMS: 345 (M+1)^(+, 1)H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃) δ 0.95 (t, 3H), 1.64 (m,2H), 2.54 (m, 2H), 5.27 (s, 2H), 6.54 (d, 1H), 6.73 (s, 1H), 6.98-7.13(m, 4H), 7.48 (d, 1H), 10.20 (br, 1H) ppm.

Example 101 1-Isobutyl-indazole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

1-(Isobutyl)-indazole-3-carboxylic acid (340 mg) was obtained frommethyl indazole-3-carboxylate (0.5 g, 2.84 mmol) and1-iodo-2-methylpropane (0.33 mL, 2.84 mmol) following general proceduresG and E. 1-(Isobutyl)-indazole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide (66mg) was prepared from 1-(isobutyl)-indazole-3-carboxylic acid (130 mg,0.60 mmol) and 2-aminothiazole (150 mg,1.5 mmol) following the generalprocedure H.

LCMS: 301 (M+1)^(+, 1)H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃) δ 1.00 (d, 6H), 2.42 (m,1H), 4.60 (d, 2H), 7.02 (d, 1H), 7.35 (m, 1H), 7.548 (m, 2H), 7.51 (d,1H), 8.42 (d, 1 H), 10.29 (s, 1H) ppm.

Example 102 1-(2-Methylallyl)-indazole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide

1-(2-Methylallyl)-indazole-3-carboxylic acid (440 mg) was obtained frommethyl indazole-3-carboxylate (0.5 g, 2.84 mmol) and1-chloro-2-methylpropene (0.28 mL, 2.84 mmol, with a catalytic amount ofsodium iodide) following the general procedures G and E.1-(2-Methylallyl)-indazole-3-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide (45 mg)was prepared from 1-(2-methylallyl)-indazole-3-carboxylic acid (140 mg,0.65 mmol) and 2-aminothiazole (65 mg, 0.65 mmol) following the generalprocedure H.

LCMS: 299 (M+1)^(+, 1)H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃) δ 1.68 (s, 3H), 4.85 (s,1H), 5.00 (s, 3H), 7.02 (d, 1H), 7.36 (m, 1H), 7.46 (d, 2H), 7.55 (d,1H), 8.46 (d, 1H), 10.45 (br s, 1H) ppm.

Example 103 (2-{[1-(Benzyl)-1H-pyrrole-2-carbonyl]-amino}-thiazol-4-yl)acetic acid ethyl ester

(2-{[1-(Benzyl)-1H-pyrrole-2-carbonyl]-amino}-thiazol-4-yl) acetic acidethyl ester (60 mg) was prepared from 1-benzyl-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid(50 mg, 0.25 mmol) and 2-aminothiazol-4-yl acetic acid ethyl ester (47mg, 0.25 mmol) following general procedure F.

LCMS: 370 (M+1)⁺

Example 104(2-{[1-(4-Fluorobenzyl)-1H-pyrrole-2-carbonyl]-amino}-thiazol-4-yl)acetic acid

(2-{[1-(4-Fluorobenzyl)-1H-pyrrole-2-carbonyl]-amino}-thiazol-4-yl)acetic acid ethyl ester (60 mg) was hydrolyzed to give(2-{[1-(4-fluorobenzyl)-1H-pyrrole-2-carbonyl]-amino}-thiazol-4-yl)acetic acid (50 mg) following general procedure E.

LCMS: 360 (M+1)^(+, 1)H NMR (400 MHz, CD₃OD) δ 3.64 (s, 2H), 5.62 (s,2H), 6.23 (m, 1H), 6.82 (s, 1H), 6.99 (m, 2H), 7.12 (m, 2H), 7.18 (m,2H) ppm.

Example 105 1-Butyl-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid thiazol-2-ylamide

1-Butyl-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (130 mg) was prepared from ethylpyrrole-2-carboxylate (139 mg, 1.0 mmol) and butyl iodide (0.12 mL, 1.0mmol) following general procedures D and E. 1-Butyl-pyrrole-2-carboxylicacid thiazol-2-ylamide (100 mg) was prepared from1-butyl-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (130 mg, 0.77 mmol) and2-aminothiazole (80 mg, 0.80 mmol) following general procedure F.

LCMS: 250 (M+1)^(+, 1)H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃) δ 0.92 (t, 3H), 1.34 (q,2H), 1.80 (m, 2H), 4.40 (t, 2H), 6.50 (m, 1 H), 7.24 (m, 2H), 7.27 (m, 1H), 7.64 (d, 1 H) ppm.

Example 106 2-(3,4-Dichloro-benzyl)-5-propyl-2H-pyrazole-3-carboxylicacid thiazol-2-ylamide

2-(3,4-Dichlorobenzyl)-5-propyl-2H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid (0.84 g)was prepared from 5-propyl-2H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid ethyl ester(0.91 g, 5.0 mmol) and 3,4-dichlorobenzyl bromide (1.32 g, 5.5 mmol)following the general procedures D and E.2-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)-5-propyl-2H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acidthiazol-2-ylamide (63 mg) was prepared from2-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)-5-propyl-2H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid (78 mg,0.25 mmol) and 2-aminothiazole (25 mg, 0.25 mmol) following the generalprocedure F.

LCMS: 395 (M+1)⁺¹H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl₃) δ 0.96 (t, 3H), 1.64 (m, 2H),2.51 (m, 2H), 5.25 (s, 2H), 6.75 (d, 1H), 6.94 (dd, 1H), 6.98 (dd, 1H),7.20 (d, 1H), 7.41 (d, 1H), 7.46 (d, 1H), 10.20 (br, 1H) ppm.

Pharmacological Methods

Biological Assay

Glucokinase Activity Assay (I)

Glucokinase activity is assayed spectrometrically coupled to glucose6-phosphate dehydrogenase to determine compound activation ofglucokinase. The final assay contains 50 mM Hepes, pH 7.1, 50 mM KCl, 5mM MgCl₂, 2 mM dithiothreitol, 0.6 mM NADP, 1 mM ATP, 0.195 μM G-6-Pdehydrogenase (from Roche, 127 671), 15 nM recombinant humanglucokinase. The glucokinase is human liver glucokinase N-terminallytruncated with an N-terminal His-tag ((His)₈-VEQILA . . . Q466) and isexpressed in E. coli as a soluble protein with enzymatic activitycomparable to liver extracted GK.

The purification of His-tagged human glucokinase (hGK) was performed asfollows: The cell pellet from 50 ml E. coli culture was resuspended in 5ml extraction buffer A (25 mM HEPES, pH 8.0, 1 mM MgCl₂, 150 mM NaCl, 2mM mercaptoethanol) with addition of 0.25 mg/ml lysozyme and 50 μg/mlsodium azide. After 5 minutes at room temperature 5 ml of extractionbuffer B (1.5 M NaCl, 100 mM CaCl₂, 100 mM MgCl₂, 0.02 mg/ml DNase 1,protease inhibitor tablet (Complete® 1697498): 1 tablet pr. 20 mlbuffer) was added. The extract was then centrifugated at 15.000 g for 30minutes. The resulting supernatant was loaded on a 1 ml Metal ChelateAffinity Chromatography (MCAC) Column charged with Ni²⁺. The column iswashed with 2 volumes buffer A containing 20 mM imidazole and the boundhis-tagged hGK is subsequently eluted using a 20 minute gradient of 20to 500 mM imididazol in buffer A. Fractions are examined usingSDS-gel-electrophoresis, and fractions containing hGK (MW: 52 KDa) arepooled. Finally a gelfiltration step is used for final polishing andbuffer exhange. hGK containing fractions are loaded onto a Superdex 75(16/60) gelfiltration column and eluted with Buffer B (25 mM HEPES, pH8.0, 1 mM MgCl₂, 150 mM NaCl, 1 mM Dithiothreitol). The purified hGK isexamined by SDS-gel electrophoresis and MALDI mass spectrometry andfinally 20% glycerol is added before freezing. The yield from 50 ml E.coli culture is generally approximately 2-3 mg hGK with a purity >90%.

The compound to be tested is added into the well in final 2.5% DMSOconcentration in an amount sufficient to give a desired concentration ofcompound, for instance 1, 5, 10, 25 or 50 μM. The reaction starts afterglucose is added to a final concentration of 2, 5, 10 or 15 mM. Theassay uses a 96-well UV plate and the final assay volume used is 200μl/well. The plate is incubated at 25° C. for 5 min and kinetics ismeasured at 340 nm in SpectraMax every 30 seconds for 5 minutes. Resultsfor each compound are expressed as the fold activation of theglucokinase activity compared to the activation of the glucokinaseenzyme in an assay without compound after having been subtracted from a“blank”, which is without glucokinase enzyme and without compound. Thecompounds in each of the Examples exhibits activation of glucokinase inthis assay. A compound, which at a concentration of at or below 30 μMgives 1.5-fold higher glucokinase activity than the result from theassay without compound, is deemed to be an activator of glucokinase.

The glucose sensitivity of the compounds are measured at a compoundconcentration of 10 μM and at glucose concentrations of 5 and 15 mM.

Glucokinase Activity Assay (II)

Determination of Glycogen Deposition in Isolated Rat Hepatocytes:

Hepatocytes are isolated from rats fed ad libitum by a two-stepperfusion technique. Cell viability, assessed by trypan blue exclusion,is consistently greater than 80%. Cells are plated onto collagen-coated96-well plates in basal medium (Medium 199 (5.5 mM glucose) supplementedwith 0.1 μM dexamethasone, 100 units/ml penicillin, 100 mg/mlstreptomycin, 2 mM L-glutamine and 1 nM insulin) with 4% FCS at a celldensity of 30,000 cells/well. The medium is replaced with basal medium 1hour after initial plating in order to remove dead cells. Medium ischanged after 24 hours to basal medium supplemented with 9.5 mM glucoseand 10 nM insulin to induce glycogen synthesis, and experiments areperformed the next day. The hepatocytes are washed twice with prewarmed(37° C.) buffer A (117.6 mM NaCl, 5.4 mM KCl, 0.82 mM Mg₂SO₄, 1.5 mMKH₂PO₄, 20 mM HEPES, 9 mM NaHCO₃, 0.1% w/v HSA, and 2.25 mM CaCl₂, pH7.4 at 37° C.) and incubated in 100 μl buffer A containing 15 mM glucoseand increasing concentrations of the test compound, such as for instance1, 5, 10, 25, 50 or 100 μM, for 180 minutes. Glycogen content ismeasured using standard procedures(Agius, L.et al, Biochem J. 266,91-102 (1990). A compound, which when used in this assay gives ansignificant increase in glycogen content compared to the result from theassay without compound, is deemed to have activity in this assay.

Glucokinase Activity Assay (III)

Stimulation of Insulin Secretion by Glucokinase Activators in INS-1ECells

The glucose responsive β-cell line INS-1E is cultivated as described byAsfari M et al., Endocrinology, 130, 167-178 (1992). The cells are thenseeded into 96 well cell culture plates and grown to a density ofapproximately 5×10⁴ per well. Stimulation of glucose dependent insulinsecretion is tested by incubation for 2 hours in Krebs Ringer Hepesbuffer at glucose concentrations from 2.5 to 15 mM with or withoutaddition of glucokinase activating compounds in concentrations of forinstance 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 or 100 μM, and the supernatants collected formeasurements of insulin concentrations by ELISA (n=4). A compound, whichwhen used in this assay gives an significant increase in insulinsecretion in response to glucose compared to the result from the assaywithout compound, is deemed to have activity in this assay.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with reference tocertain preferred embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art willappreciate that various changes, modifications and substitutions can bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention. For example, effective dosages other than the preferreddosages as set forth herein may be applicable as a consequence ofvariations in the responsiveness of the mammal being treated forglucokinase-deficiency mediated disease(s). Likewise, the specificpharmacological responses observed may vary according to and dependingon the particular active compound selected or whether there are presentpharmaceutical carriers, as well as the type of formulation and mode ofadministration employed, and such expected variations or differences inthe results are contemplated in accordance with the objects andpractices of the present invention.

1. A compound of the formula

wherein: R³ is halogen, trifluoromethyl, or methyl; R⁵ is

R⁶ is hydrogen; R⁴⁰ is hydrogen; and R⁴¹ is —S—(CH₂)₁₋₂—CO₂H, or—S—(CH₂)₁₋₂—CO₂CH₂CH₃; or a salt thereof with any pharmaceuticallyacceptable acid or base.
 2. The compound according to claim 1 selectedfrom{2-[(1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid, or a salt thereof with any pharmaceutically acceptable acid orbase.
 3. The compound according to claim 1 selected from{2[(1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-trifluoromethyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid ethyl ester, or a salt thereof with any pharmaceutically acceptableacid or base.
 4. The compound according to claim 1 selected from{2[(1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-trifluoromethyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-aceticacid, or a salt thereof with any pharmaceutically acceptable acid orbase.
 5. The compound according to claim 1 selected from3-{2-[(1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-trifluoromethyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-propionicacid ethyl ester, or a salt thereof with any pharmaceutically acceptableacid or base.
 6. The compound according to claim 1 selected from3-{2-[(1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-methyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-propionicacid ethyl ester, or a salt thereof with any pharmaceutically acceptableacid or base.
 7. The compound according to claim 1 selected from3-{2-[(1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-trifluoromethyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-propionicacid, or a salt thereof with any pharmaceutically acceptable acid orbase.
 8. The compound according to claim 1 selected from3-{2-[(1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-fluoro-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-propionicacid, or a salt thereof with any pharmaceutically acceptable acid orbase.
 9. The compound according to claim 1 selected from3-{2-[(1-cyclopropylmethyl-6-methyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-amino]-thiazol-5-ylsulfanyl}-propionicacid, or a salt thereof with any pharmaceutically acceptable acid orbase.
 10. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of claim 1and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent.
 11. A method oftreating type 2 diabetes, comprising administering to a human sufferingtherefrom therapeutically effective amount of a compound according toclaim 1.